


Scavenger

by Ella_Chane



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Dark Matters, Emotional Manipulation, Human Bill Cipher, I apologize in advance, M/M, Manipulation, One-Sided Relationship, Other Characters as well - Freeform, Rape Recovery, Rape/Non-con Elements, Suicide Attempt, Trigger Warnings, fair warning, there will be lots of them, this is probably the darkest Gravity Falls ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-03 19:05:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 27
Words: 76,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5303216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ella_Chane/pseuds/Ella_Chane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper suddenly gasped and shoved his sister away roughly, not thinking clearly at the moment. The girl yelped in surprise as she suddenly fell off the bed. She rubbed her sore head, “Ouch Dipper, what the heck-,” her thoughts ended when she saw him. He was shaking terribly, tears leaking out of his eyes like two waterfalls. He looked afraid, downright terrified of her. She stood up and reached out to him. He flinched and leaned away from her touch. She felt her heart break at the sudden movement, how could he be scared of her? What was wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A secret's worth depends on the people from whom it must be kept  
> \- Carlos Ruiz Zafón

He preyed on him from the beginning, he tortured him until he was on the brink of insanity. He flaunted himself, forcing the boy to look away and pray that he would go away. But that was unlikely, it was improbable. He knew it was wrong to try it, to get a taste of that oh so delicious evil. But it’s not like he _wanted_ too, oh no, in fact it was the opposite. But before he had the chance to get away, the demon had snatched it at first hand.

Now here he was, gasping under him, his fingers curling around the blue sheet that spread over his bed. This monster, this evil spirit, was grinding him torturously, making him whine in discomfort and pain. He hated this, he truly did. His stomach was churning with disgust, tears pricked at his eyes and threatened to fall down. He let out a sharp puff of air as the demon touched his body just right. He was horrified to know that his body desired this, but who was he fooling? The demon had taught his body to do that, he had trained it to react just for him. Even though he himself refused to.

“Bill…” A voice gasped, it wasn’t his voice, plus he would never say that of his own free will. He never did anymore, the monster above him had learned some new tricks and it caused his free will to be taken from him. The demon above him smirked down at his hot and sweaty body. He was shaking, trembling, praying that it would end soon.

“Yes, my Pine Tree?” He asked sweetly. So sickeningly sweet that the boy arched his back and moaned loudly, the sound making bile rise in the back of his throat. He _hated him_ and he hated _this_. He felt the demon’s fingers scrape across his skin, enticing it with what could’ve been delicious sparks of pleasure, but now only gave him sparks of repulsion. He held back a sob as the demon grinded him, adding just enough pressure to ensure that he was gaining his own satisfaction.

“ _Please_ …” The voice rasped, “…stop.”

“ _You don’t mean that, **do you**_?”

Good question. Ever since that stupid deal, Dipper hadn’t been able to tell the difference.

 

**▻△▽◅**

_-One Month Before-_

“Dipper! Check out this rabbit I found!” Mabel’s voice pierced through the silence that had filled the Mystery Shack. Dipper looked from the journal he was reading and towards the sound of his sister’s voice. Mabel was standing proudly, hands on her hips and her eyes beaming with pride. Her hair seemed a bit tussled and bits of twigs and leaves stuck out from it. A few patches of dirt marred her chin and the side of her cheek. Her clothes also had dirt on them and strands of grass. It looked like she had ran through a garden of bushes and tumbled headfirst down a hill. The twelve year old quirked an eyebrow and closed his book.

“What happened to you?” He asked, scooting off the chair he was in and adjusting his hat. Mabel gave a laugh and waved him off.

“That’s not important right now!” She chortled, “But what _is_ important, is this nifty little bunny I found!” She squealed, running towards him, “You _have_ to see it! It’s got a cute little rabbit face with a small pink nose and cute lil’ bunny eyes!” She continued to gush as she grabbed him and lead him out. Dipper barely had a moment to register Mabel’s words and before he knew it, he was already outside in the hot summer sun of Gravity Falls. He furrowed his brows and raised a hand to shield his eyes from the blinding sunlight.

“Hey! Mabel,” He called, “slow down, will you?” He grouched, doing his best to keep up with over-excitable sister. He honestly didn’t know what the buzz over another woodland creature was. They saw rabbits almost every time they explored the woods, so what made this one special?

“I know it was around here somewhere…” Mabel mumbled as she continued to walk. Dipper sighed, giving up his quest to getting his sister to stop.

“Can you at _least_ tell me where you found this rabbit?” He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest once Mabel had finally stopped walking and let go of him. To which he was grateful for because he was worried he was going to lose all circulation to his hand with how tightly Mabel was hanging onto him. The sun was warm and hot against the back of his neck and he pulled slightly at the collar of his shirt, fanning himself with the thin material.

Geez, it was really hot today.

“Mabel, can we please-,”

“Aha!”

His sister’s sudden shout made him jolt back and look at her with a confused expression, “What?” He asked, walking closer to her. She was currently in between two bushes, looking as though she was tugging at something. Then, she suddenly gave a cry of triumph and spun around to face him. He gave a small cry of surprise as he was suddenly face to face with a small white furry face. He blinked, his eyes connecting with the blackest pair of eyes he had ever seen, there seemed to be something off about it.

“Mabel, are you sure this is a rabbit?” He asked, staring at the small creature with suspicion. Mabel seemed offended and she balked, stepping away from her brother and jerking the rabbit out of his sight.

“How _rude_ ,” She frowned, “Of course it’s a rabbit! Just look at his cute little bunny tail!” She argued, turning the small animal around and showing him the white fluffy tail on its backside. He sighed and held the bridge of his nose. He had a bad feeling about the rabbit, in fact, he felt as though it _wasn’t_ a rabbit. It was just too…perfect. He reached out and touched the fur, it was soft and silky, almost like a blanket. Its ears were velvety soft and long. The rabbit’s paws were dainty and cute. The whole creature was just _too cute_ and _perfect_ to seem normal. Dipper continued his investigation on the rabbit, trusting his gut over his sister’s protests.

“Seriously Dipper? Is it necessary to inspect an innocent creature?” She frowned. The said boy looked up at her with a stern frown, his eyes narrowed in determination.

“Of course it is!” He countered back, “Are you even looking at the rabbit? It’s way too perfect! I mean…even the fur is softer than a normal rabbit’s would be.” Mabel frowned, and she turned the bunny around to face her. Come to think of it, now that she was looking at it, it did seem to be more of an unnatural creature. Suddenly the rabbit’s eyes flickered red and she gasped, dropping it to the ground and grabbing Dipper.

“You know what? You’re right! The bunny is totally unnatural! We should go!” She said nervously. Dipper seemed taken aback by her sudden eagerness to leave. Wasn’t she just offended by his comment about the animal?

“What are you talking about?”

Just then, a loud roar rang throughout the forest. Mabel and Dipper both tensed, then their eyes glanced at the rabbit. The small animal’s body was shaking and it was writhing. Its skin bubbled as though it had a separate mind of its own. Low growls could be heard from it and the twins slowly backed away, trying to keep as calm and quiet as they could. Their eyes stayed trained on the rabbit, watching as it went through a transformation.

“I-it’s getting bigger,” Mabel whispered frantically. And indeed it was. The woodland creature seemed to have quadrupled its size and more. Its ears became more long and pointy at the end. The white fur was now coarse and a brittle black. It turned around to reveal two crimson red eyes. It stared at the twelve year olds for a moment before opening its mouth wide, giving them a glimpse of rows upon rows of sharp, jagged teeth. Then it released a loud, roaring wail that had them covering their ears and the whole forest trembling.

“Mabel,” Dipper called out, “R-run!” Then he grabbed her hand and they both took off running like hell, not once looking back at the creature that they knew was already giving chase to them. Mabel whimpered and clung tighter to Dipper’s hand, following after him as fast as she could go. Meanwhile, her brother was looking around for a place they could hide in and wait for the creature to leave. Dipper cursed himself for not bringing his book with him, though he wasn’t sure how much help that would’ve been. He had never seen a creature like this before.

“There!” He suddenly said. Dead ahead of them, was a cave. It didn’t look too deep, but enough for the two of them to squeeze in and wait out the monster rabbit’s hunt. Mabel nodded, and followed him to the cave. They jumped over tree roots and did their best to avoid the long branches of the trees. All the while, trying to stay clear of the chomping mouth of the rabbit. Dipper felt relief flood his body as he guided his sister to the safety of the cave, but right as Dipper had been about to enter it, Mabel’s sweater had gotten caught along one of the branches. His heart stopped and he turned back, going back to her, but his own foot had gotten caught in something sticky. He looked down and cried out in horror. A trail of black, thick liquid crossed in front of the cave. Something that he hadn’t seen. He tried in vain to wring himself free from it. But the liquid stuck to him like quicksand, trapping him there and refraining him from saving his sister.

Mabel jerked and tugged at her sweater, but to no avail. The stray branch had managed to worm its way through the knitted outfit, keeping her trapped there unless she had some form of scissors. She looked to Dipper, but he was stuck as well. Their eyes connected and they both felt it. A soft _thud, thud_ traveled through the forest and the ground trembled. The rabbit was back. And its meal was set out for it. Whimpering, Mabel and Dipper began to frantically tug at the things that kept them stuck. Mabel begged and pleaded for her sweater to just come off and Dipper swore and cursed at anything as he tried to free his leg.

His attempts stopped briefly when he heard his sister’s shrieks. The rabbit was standing just a few short feet away from her. Stalking closer with each second as it scanned over its prey. His sister was frozen with fear, her hands gripping her sweater’s material as she stared at the beast, “Mabel…Mabel keep trying!” Dipper urged, trying to snap her out of her shock. He cursed as he tugged on his foot, trying to get the black sludge to let him go. The boy scoured the ground for anything to use as a distraction. And then an idea struck him.

He reached out for the nearest rock and picked it up. Willing himself to not mess up for his sister’s sake. The rabbit was now upon them and it was hungry. A long, dark pink tongue left the rabbit’s mouth and the tip reach out to lick just under his sister’s chin. Mabel shuddered.

“Ew! Monster spit!” She cried out. Dipper would’ve found that sentence funny had their lives not been on the line and he went back to the task at hand. Aiming the rock, he brought his hand back and took in a deep breath. Then, he released.

The rock hit dead on to the creature’s eye and it roared loudly. Jerking its head, it look at Dipper with malice and began making its way towards him. Dipper glanced at the long thick log sticking out of the black tar-like liquid. He grabbed onto the branch that was attached to the log and hung on tightly. He knew that the moment the rabbit stepped on it, he would be released and he could get Mabel out.

The rabbit snarled and hissed at him, its jagged teeth bared at him. Dipper took in deep breaths to calm his nerves. _This would work…this would work, this will work!_

And then the rabbit was there. Its large paw stepped onto the log, and it caused the reaction Dipper needed. Dipper was lifted from the sludge and thrown violent against a tree stump, meanwhile the rabbit was now in his position and stuck in the tar. The boy wheezed and panted as he stood up, thankful that no serious damage was done to him. He ran to Mabel and managed to get the sweater free. Mabel shouted for joy and hugged her brother tightly, relief replacing the sheer terror she felt moments ago.

“Let’s go before it breaks free!” Mabel said, taking her brother’s hand and turning to leave. Dipper nodded and turned back to the rabbit. Truth be told he was surprised that his plan had even worked in the first place. He hurriedly followed after Mabel, thinking it was better to not look this gift in the eye.

In hindsight though, it probably would’ve been better to do that. The poor boy had no idea how his life was going to take a dark turn for the worse.


	2. Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is wise not to seek a secret, and honest not to reveal one.
> 
> – William Penn, Some Fruits of Solitude

Since the rabbit incident, Dipper had spent his time trying to figure it out. He had read through his journal nearly almost a gazillion times, but there was no proof that such a creature like that had even existed. In fact, he was almost positive that the rabbit they had encountered was an illusion of some sort.

But if it was, then how was he able to get out of the tar the moment the rabbit had stepped on the log? But what if the tar hadn’t even existed? Groaning in annoyance, the boy surfed through his journal once more. But there was no such thing as the black tar. There was _Eels Dripping_ , but that was a white liquid that had acidic qualities that could eat away titanium in less than a second. And last Dipper checked, he still had a foot attached to his leg. He sighed and tossed his book onto his bed. Removing his cap, he ran his fingers through his hair and leaned against the bed’s side. Everything was confusing and muddled. Did the creature exist or not? All signs showed that it didn’t and the life threatening peril was probably nothing more than some weird dream thing. But Dipper _knew_ that that wasn’t probable. He and Mabel were both wide awake and they both knew what they saw. So why was the universe trying to make them seem like they were crazy? More importantly, why did he feel like he was going crazy? And what happened to not looking this gift in the eye? Why couldn’t he just let things be?

“Curse me and my curiosity…” He groaned, covering his face with both his hands. He barely noticed the door to the attic room creaking open.

“Still trying to figure out the rabbit incident, bro-bro?” Mabel asked, holding a tray with snacks on it. Dipper jumped a bit before relaxing once knowing who it was. He straightened out a bit and nodded, his eyes looking from her, it was clear he was upset, and the bags under his eyes were a clear reminder of how dedicated he was to solving this mystery. Mabel set the tray down on the floor and sat next to her brother, patting his back and offering a sympathetic smile, “Does it really matter what kind of creature that bunny was? We lived, we escaped, and that’s all that counts. Let this one mystery go, Dipping Sauce, it’s only gonna bring us trouble if you keep poking at it,” She said, hoping to ease his stubbornness. Dipper sighed again and slumped back against the bed.

“I know, I know,” He mumbled, “but I can’t help it…if there’s an unsolved mystery, I _have_ to solve it, otherwise it’s going to keep bugging me,” He frowned. Mabel let out a long puff of air and chuckle, classical Dipper, she thought with amusement.

“Alrighty then, Dip-Dop, if it’s gonna kill you _that_ much, why don’t we go back and check it out?” She asked. Dipper’s eyes brightened and leaned up, looking her in the eyes.

“Are you serious?” He asked, smiling brightly. Mabel nodded.

“Yup! But it's gonna have to wait, I already promised Grunkle Stan that I’d help him with this new tour sign,” She grinned, standing up, “When it comes to wasting money, the Mystery Shack is your new life hack!” She shouted. Dipper forced out a laugh, blocking out the feeling of disappointment that he held for his sister. He watched her leave, but not before she gave a double pinky promise for helping him later on. He wanted to believe her, he really did, but he had a seed of doubt in him. And who could blame him? The last time he had trusted Mabel with a promise, she brushed off him, finding some other guy more important than helping him. Though she did later apologize for it and he forgave her right then and there, it was hard to let go of the small handful of distrust that had been planted there.

He suddenly stood up, grabbing his blue puffy vest and putting it on. Fixing his hat, he raced out the door and downstairs. He could hear Mabel chattering with Grunkle Stan in the kitchen, so he decided to make his great escape there. Silently passing by the threshold, he ran to the shop and left out the door, glad that Wendy hadn’t noticed him.

Once outside, he stopped to catch his breath. The sky was a light blue, a gathering of clouds could be seen in the distance, signaling for rain. He knew he was on limited time, so the moment his breath was up to par, he dashed for the wood. The dark green pine trees that made the majority of the forest towered over him like a shield, blocking him from the view of any prying eyes, well, at least the ones _he_ could see. Slowing down his pace, he continued to walk, trying to remember the path they had taken before. He saw a familiar boulder that was cut in half, one that he had caught sight of when they had been running back. Smiling, he raced over there, and grinned there was the spot.

Having not had the chance to get a glimpse of the spot before, Dipper took this time to look around. It was a clear area, free of trees and nothing but a lone cave. There was little sunlight, giving the place an eerie look to it. He took a step forward, only to give a cry as he suddenly found himself rolling down a steep hill. He landed with an ‘oof!’ on his stomach and groaned, holding his head lightly as he tried to stop the ground from moving. He looked around, feeling dry leaves and small rocks under his hands and knees. He got up shakily, testing and feeling around for anything broken or sprained. He found none and felt relieved, though there was one nasty scrape on his knee that was bleeding. He groaned, knowing full well that he was now going to have to come up with a plausible and believable excuse for the sudden wound. Shaking off the dirt on his vest and arms, he walked forward, making sure that there was no surprise hill this time. He first walked over to the cave, looking at the ground and being mindful of the tar, only…there was no tar. In fact, there wasn’t even a sign of a _rabbit_ in the tar. All he saw was a large rotting log on its side. He felt a rush of worry and excitement run through him, none of anything that happened yesterday, had happened. And he felt something akin to a feeling of dread settle in the pit of his stomach.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my favorite little _Pine Tree_!”

Dipper jumped and spun around, his eyes looking up and meeting the gaze of a one-eyed yellow triangle. He gulped, taking a step back and glancing around warily. How had he missed seeing the world go from colorful to grey? Though he supposed it was because of the bad light in this area.

“B-Bill,” He squeaked, trying to sound brave for a moment, though the way his voice cracked a little showed otherwise. Bill caught hold the sound and his eye twinkled with a smug look. He placed both hands behind his back and floated in front of Dipper.

“In the flesh, kid! Though to humans I would seem more like a brick wall, huh?” He laughed, finding amusement in his ramblings, “So, Pine Tree, what brings you to the darkest part of the woods?” He asked, squinting his eye at him. Dipper swallowed and pulled away from the close space that was between them.

“What? Me? N-nothing! In fact I was just about to leave!” he said, turning away from Bill and trying to get himself to go back to reality. But Bill had wrapped an arm around his shoulder and yanked him back, pressing him against his side. Dipper squirmed a little, feeling one of Bill’s corners digging into him, “L-let me go!” He said, shoving the triangle away but to no avail.

“Oh, now shush, kid,” Bill said, rolling his eye, “I only wanted to talk. You see, I’m actually kind of glad you showed up, and without company no less!” He chortled, “Kudos for finding a time to escape!” He said, poking the tip of his nose with a single finger. Dipper furrowed his brow and frowned.

“What? What are you talking about?” He sputtered, finally managing to escape Bill’s firm hold on him, “Is this about using my body again? Because there is no way I’m letting that happen! Now let me wake up!” he growled, pointing a finger at the demon. Bill sighed and held his hands up in mock surrender.

“Calm down, will ya kid?” he said, his eye going wide for a moment at his accusations, “I only came to help!” Dipper stared at him skeptically.

“Uh, huh, sure,” He muttered, turning around once more. Bill must’ve not liked that because he suddenly wrapped his thin black arms around Dipper’s waist and jerked him back. Dipper yelped from the sudden force and soon enough found himself staring into Bill’s eye, though it was fully black with Bill’s pupil white. Looking down, Dipper found that Bill had turned a dark crimson red, and a heck of a lot bigger too. He gulped, hanging onto his hands out of fear for his life.

“ ** _LOOK AT ME WHEN I’M TALKING TO YOU!_** ” Bill’s voice was loud and thunderous, his normally cheerful tone was gone and replaced with heated anger. Dipper flinched, cowering back a bit and nodding in understanding. Bill calmed a little and shrunk, placing him back on the ground where he quickly scrambled to get away, but hadn’t dared to turn his back on Bill, “As I was saying,” the triangle began, happy to know that Dipper wasn’t going to walk off again, “I’m here to help you, but of course, in return, I’m going to need a favor.”

Dipper scoffed, glaring at Bill, “You do realize that _helping_ someone means doing it _without_ a favor in return, right?” He asked, annoyance in his tone, but only a little. Bill seemed to light up with a sort of smugness and Dipper was positive that he was smiling.

“Of course I know that, Pine Tree! I know everything!” He retorted, “So then let me rephrase my sentence. I need your help and you’re going to give it me. Ah-ah!” Bill said, holding up a finger before Dipper could even protest, “You’re going to help me because if you don’t then something bad _will_ happen to your precious sister.”

“Fat chance,” Dipper said, not letting Bill’s empty threat get to him, “Mabel is safe at home with Grunkle Stan! And he won’t let anything happen to her!” Bill’s eye went to being half lidded and leaned in close to Dipper.

“Oh really?” he asked, snapping his fingers. A large rift suddenly opened between them, and Dipper was met with a moving image that showed his sister standing in front of the woods, “You see, after you left, Mabel finished talking with your Grunkle, and she was excited to go on this little adventure of yours. But imagine her surprise when she found the room empty and you nowhere in sight?”

A twinge of guilt flooded through Dipper and he cursed at himself for being so impatient. He broke out of his guilt as Bill continued talking, “You said she was safe in the shack,” Bill mused, “but low and behold, your dedicated sister is out all alone looking for you. And guess who’s there waiting to greet her?” Bill laughed. The image of Mabel looking around some of the trees dispersed and Dipper’s eyes widened at the sight he saw. The very same rabbit from yesterday was watching her, its mouth slightly agape and its body set in a position to pounce. He gulped, grabbing the collar of his shirt and looking up at Bill with wide eyes.

“N-no…that’s impossible!” he said, “The rabbit’s not real! I know it isn’t!” he argued, but the image before him was countering out the proof he had built up. Bill laughed, a dark ominous one that sent shivers down his spine.

“Oh, and why is that, kid?” He sneered, “Because you didn’t find it in that journal of yours? Not everything in these woods are written down, ya know! There are still creatures out here that you didn’t even know existed!” He shouted with glee. Dipper gripped the sides if his hat, biting his lip as he tried to figure out what to do. If he didn’t do something quick, Mabel was going to-No, he couldn’t think like that. There had to be some other way. There had to be an answer!

“I-I have to go help her! I need to-!” He was grasping for straws here, trying to find options, but with each passing moment, the rabbit was getting closer to his sister. The fearful boy turned to Bill, “Please, help her!” He begged. Bill held a finger above his bow tie and tapped it thoughtfully against his chin.

“Oh…wow, coming to me for help so soon? Geez kid, talk about desperate. Let's see...” Bill sucked in sharply, “...how about… _no_.” Dipper’s heart sunk and he turned back to the image.

The rabbit was getting closer…

He looked wide eyed at Bill, his face pale and heart thudding against his chest, he approached the demon, “Bill, _please_!” He tried again, tears falling down his cheeks. The demon leaned back in the air and closed his eyes, his hands moving behind his back as he crossed one leg over the other.

…meanwhile the rabbit crept closer…

The boy glanced at the image then to Bill, then back before he sucked in a deep breath, “ _Alright!_ ” Dipper’s desperate cry broke through the tense silence, “I’ll make a deal with you!” He choked out, “Just save her…please…” he sunk down to his knees in defeat, not even staring at the demon who had a triumphant air around him.

“That’s more like it!” Bill chirped and then he snapped his fingers. Dipper’s eyes looked up to the image. The rabbit was looming right over Mabel, its shadow surrounding her. He saw his sister tense and slowly turn around. But right before she could see anything, the creature suddenly shrunk down and floated in the air, but just as it had shrunk, it exploded in a burst of white light, leaving no remnants behind. And when Mabel turned her head quickly, she let out a relieved sigh and relaxed. Dipper as well did the same and smiled. But, this wasn’t over yet. The rift in front of him disappeared in a flash and a shadow towered high above. He felt a hand trail up and down his arm and he turned around, finding Bill’s eye staring at him intently.

“B-Bill…?” He whispered fearfully. But the demon placed a single finger over his lips, sealing them.

“Shh…” He whispered, an evil twinkle in his eye, “I’ll see you soon, _Pine Tree_.” And with that, the demon disappeared, leaving Dipper to wake up alone in the forest.

A bad feeling making itself known in his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate the feedback very much! I hope this story continues to intrigue you all!!!


	3. Chapter III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one ever keeps a secret so well as a child.
> 
> \- Victor Hugo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight trigger warning- Readers beware.

After his encounter with Bill, Dipper shakily, and nervously, made his way back home. Every shadow the late afternoon sun cast brought a chill of fear to his body. His eyes were wide and he expected something or _someone_ to pounce him at any given moment. With that in mind, he moved to walk faster, picking up his pace and practically running towards the safety out of the woods. He could vaguely hear someone calling out for him. Multiple voices it seemed. But the way the branches of the trees stuck out made it seem as though they were trying to lock him in. They were trying to trap him and keep him from ever making it home.

He felt ridiculous for thinking such thoughts, but he couldn’t shake that bad feeling that consumed him. The way Bill’s hand trailed up and down his arm and pressed a finger against his lips…it left a bad tingly sensation that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

_I don’t like the way he touched me_ , Dipper thought as he made it to the end of the wood. He hugged himself tightly and walked out, before screaming in terror as he was suddenly knocked down. He held his hands above his hand and shut his eyes tightly, expecting something to happen but nothing did. He opened his eyes slowly and met the gaze of his befuddled sister. Mabel’s eyebrows were furrowed together and her mouth was drawn in a small frown.

“Dipper, what happened?” She asked, concern noticeable in her tone as she kneeled down beside him. Dipper sighed with relief as Mabel’s voice rang through his ears. He gave a nervous laugh and waved her.

“Happened? What do you mean?” he asked, faking that nothing had happened, that he hadn’t just had an encounter with Bill. But Mabel being Mabel, saw right past his phony lie and she gave him an ‘oh really’ look. Then she pointed to his knee.

“How’d you get that?” There was a smug tone to her and Dipper found himself on edge once more at having a flashback of Bill. But he brushed it off and looked at knee, remembering the wound he had gotten from falling down that hill. The wound was a real crime scene. A mixture of dried and fresh blood coated it like paint and in the patches of skin that were clean, he could see a dark ugly bruise forming. He cringed, removing some small bits of dirt from it. Mabel sighed and rolled her eyes, climbing to her feet she helped him up and guided him to the house.

“Let’s go clean that cut,” was all she said, but if Dipper was being honest, he could’ve sworn that was said with a tone of hurt.

**▻△▽◅**

“Ow! Ow, ow, ow!”

“Oh, quit being a baby!”

“Ouch! That’s easy for you say! This stuff stings!” Dipper was currently sitting on top of the bathroom counter, Grunkle Stan was currently spraying disinfectant on his wound which turned out to be a bit smaller than Dipper had thought. Turns out he just bleeds a lot. He hissed in pain again as Stan attempted to finish off spraying and gripped the dark wood of the surface. The older simply rolled his eyes and put the spray down before promptly grabbing some bandages.

“Y’know, Mabel was pretty worried about you,” he said after a brief pause. Dipper tensed, knowing that his sister was probably knitting off her anger. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, a look of shame covering his face. He knew that Mabel had wanted to help out, she wanted to be there for him this time…but he had stopped her by betraying her and going behind her back.

“I know…” he mumbled and he heard the old man sigh as he put away the first aid kit. Then he felt a warm hand on his shoulder and he tensed, his arm tingling just like it had when Bill touched him. He relaxed a little when he remembered who exactly he was with and he willed his heart to slow down. Grunkle Stan looked as though he wanted to say something to the boy, his eyes dark with an unknowing secret. But the old man remained silent, merely giving him one firm squeeze on his shoulder before walking off.

Maybe if he had told Dipper what he was going to say, the boy would have no fear of going to him for help. Then maybe what happened next would’ve stopped sooner and the events that happened wouldn’t have occurred.

**▻△▽◅**

As Dipper laid in his bed, he thought about what Bill could be planning. What was the deal that he had in stored for him? He had a feeling it was going to be worse than just a simple hand on his arm. He shifted a little, turning on his side and staring at the wall across from him. The room was dark and all he could see was the lumpy form of his sister. Her body rising and falling in time with her breathing. He had managed to apologize to her and explain to her what had happened-minus the part with Bill. He didn’t need her to know that that he had made an unknown deal with him and cause her to worry more. He sighed, biting back the guilt at having kept yet another secret from her. But, it had to be for the best. She was safe and alive and that was all that really mattered. But the memory of Bill’s hand on his arm made him feel like he just signed off his soul to the devil. And hey, maybe he did, but he could get out of it. He’s defeated Bill on many occasions, so this one shouldn’t be a big deal.

“It will all be alright,” he whispered to himself, “He’s gone and nothing’s going to happen… right?” he knew he wasn’t doing a great job at comforting himself, but he did the best he could, honest.

“It’s cute how you think you can stop me.”

Dipper tensed and sat up. His heart racing and eyes going wide. He swallowed thickly, looking around for the figure that that voice belonged to. He hugged himself tightly, trying to keep himself out of harm’s way. Too late for that though.

“B-Bill…?” he called out nervously, then, as if on cue, a single eye sprouted from thin air, followed by a small gathering of bright yellow bricks that stacked on top of each other in the shape of a triangle. A bright blue light swirled around them and a white glow out shined it before finally disappearing, and in its place, the very being Dipper did not want to see.

Bill pulled off his top hat and gave a boy, making the room tilt and Dipper fumble off the bed and land on his knees, hissing in pain at the harsh contact on his injured knee. Bill laughed before floating over to him, “In the flesh, kid!” he chortled, his voice obnoxiously loud, “Say this is a good spot for us to begin! You sure know how to follow through with deals!” he beamed. Dipper blinked in confusion.

“Huh?”

Bill turned back to him and there was a strange glint in his eye. Under his gaze, Dipper felt his stomach churn in disgust. He didn’t like that _look_ that Bill was giving him. And when the triangle seemed to move closer to him, he tensed and took a step back. He glanced at the bed his sister was lying in. _Mabel…wake up…wake up! Mabel!_ But he knew that was an effortless move, he was in the mindscape, and there was no way his sister would know of what was happening.

“That’s right,” Bill suddenly spoke up, hands behind his back, “I never told you what the deal was…” there seemed to be an underlying mocking tone in his voice and Dipper could sense the red flags going up in his head. Something was not right here. “…Oh, Pine Tree,” Bill chuckled, “Pine Tree, Pine Tree, _Pine Tree_.”

A twinge of fear began to bubble inside Dipper, his heart beat picking up and his breath hitching. The way Bill had his name made him uncomfortable, it made him want to leave right now. He looked around for an exit, even willed for an exit to come. But there was nothing. Nothing but Bill and his loud cackling laughter.

“You can’t escape from here, Pine Tree!” Bill said through laughter, “You’re in _my realm_ , and I’ll let you go when I see fit!” Bill cackled. Dipper’s eyes widened and he stared at Bill. He felt vulnerable. Weak. And defenseless. Bill’s figure seemed to be bigger and more threatening. He cowered against the wall, making himself go back and as far away from Bill as possibly. But the demon had other thoughts in mind. And Dipper was sure he didn’t want to know.

“B-Bill…this isn’t funny,” He tried, but his voice was shaking and his eyes were growing blurry from the tears that had already began to block his vision. His body was trembling and his knees almost gave out from under him. He swallowed, thickly and loudly, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. Bill stopped his dark laughter and he stared at Dipper, assessing him before reaching a hand out to him.

“You’re right. It isn’t,” And that was all the demon said before he snatched Dipper by the throat and dragged him to him. Dipper cried out at the pain, his hands gripping at Bill’s and trying to get him to let go, by the demon’s hold was strong and suffocating. Without warning, Bill slammed him against the floor and held him there, his eye dark with an unknown emotion.

“B-Bill…!” Dipper gasped, tears leaking down, “L-Let me GO!” he choked out.

“Sorry kid, but your my _toy_ now!”

Dipper was panicking, thrashing against the demon. Bill had let go of his neck briefly and he sucked in great gulps of air, but before he could even think to get away, Bill had picked him up once more and slammed him back down, making his back ache and bruise. Before he knew it, Bill’s hand was on him, holding him down. Then, his shirt was ripped off and he felt Bill’s hand run up and down his chest in a disturbing manner. He whimpered.

“S-stop!” He screamed, squirming and thrashing around. He kicked and shoved at the demon, trying to get him to let go of him. He didn’t like this! He didn’t want this!

Suddenly, Bill snapped his fingers and Dipper felt his body freeze up. He tried to move his arm, but to his horror he found that _he couldn’t move_. I can’t get away, he thought in fear, I’m gonna die! I’m gonna _die!_

But death would be too great of a mercy for Dipper. Instead, Bill’s eye gleamed with a sinister look and he dipped his hand down along Dipper’s sides. The demon watched him, enjoying his horrified reactions greatly. The twelve year old was sobbing now. Begging with pleading eyes for Bill to let him go. He called out for Mabel, hoping that somehow she would hear him and come to his aid. But the demon broke down that wall of hope the moment Dipper had built it. Dipper’s breathing was irregular, he was on the verge of having a panic attack. His body felt dirty, tainted. Bill’s touches made him want to recoil back and throw up. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly as the demon ran his hand along the length of his body. _Stop…stop…stopstopstop._ His voice was hoarse from crying out to Mabel and begging Bill to stop, the demon had rendered him of his hope.

Then, Bill did something terrible.

Dipper’s eyes snapped open wide, his body jolting and his efforts became more doubled. Bill’s hand was lingering just right above the button of his shorts and Dipper didn’t want it any closer. He screamed and yelled, trying to move his body, but it was like there were some invisible chains on him that kept him from stopping Bill. Before he knew it, his shorts were gone and so were his boxers. They were tossed somewhere, out of his reach. He was left with his bottom half naked, exposed. And he felt his face heat up. He felt ashamed, repulsed, and embarrassed. And to his horror, Bill _touched_ him. Everything inside of him stopped working. His brain stopped thinking and he went numbed. Shock. He was in shock. Bill didn’t touch him for long, but it didn’t matter, the damage was done to him.

When he finally came to, the demon was hovering above him. His eyes a lit with satisfaction. Dipper found that he could once again move and he could, he scrambled away from Bill, not meeting his gaze. His eyes were brimming with tears, his back felt sore, and he was shaking violently. Meanwhile, Bill only leaned back without a care in the world.

“Don’t think this is the last of that, Pine tree,” Bill said, “There will be plenty more to come.”

Dipper shivered, looking at Bill with a blank expression. He felt like throwing up and maybe he did, he didn’t know. All he knew was that he needed to get back to the real world, he needed to take a shower and tell Mabel-

“Don’t even think about telling anyone about this, Dipper,” Bill’s voice pierced through his thoughts, making him freeze as he moved closer to him, “Because if you do, then your family will be the one to the price. Especially your _sister_.”

“Y-you can’t…” he whispered, and he shook away the image of Bill doing the same thing to Mabel. There would be no way she would handle this. She would break the moment Bill even tried to touch her.

“I _can_ and I _will_ ,” Bill hissed, “but that all remains up to you. Keep quiet and she’s safe. Tell a soul…and well…how many touches does it take to make a shooting star fall?” He cackled darkly into the boy’s ear. Dipper shuddered and began to move away, but Bill grabbed him and held him firmly in place, “Do you understand?”

He said nothing.

“ ** _DO YOU UNDERSTAND DIPPER?!_** ” Bill roared. Dipper cried out and squeezed his eyes shut. He nodded his head frantically, his body trembling with fear.

“Y-yes…” He whispered through sobs. Bill seemed pleased and he let go of the boy, reaching to pat his head in praise like one would to a dog.

“Good,” He hummed, “This is our little secret,” He chuckled. Then he snapped his fingers.

Dipper woke with a start, tumbling out of his bed and landing with a thud. He looked around hysterically, eyes wide and face pale. It was dark. Nothing but the moon filtering through the window. He flinched at the triangular shaped glass and whimpered, turning away from it. Mabel was still sound asleep in her bed, innocent to what had just happened. Dipper felt like he needed a bath. His body was sweaty and sticky, and he could still feel Bill’s hands roaming across him. He didn’t want to be alone.

Shaking, he stood up and clambered back into bed. He pulled the blankets over his head and curled into a tight ball. He wanted to hide and never come out. He cried and sobbed himself to utter exhaustion.

But he knew he wouldn’t be getting anymore sleep tonight. And probably not ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aah, so I've already started drawing my own fanart for this fic XD I'm pretty sure once the story gets interesting you'll want to as well!! (Hopefully!) I have all the OC characters drawn, and my human Bill Cipher came out freak'n hot. I couldn't stop doodling him.
> 
> I apologize for this. This story is going better than I thought.
> 
> Thanks for reading! And please leave a comment!!


	4. Chapter IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows.  
> \- Robert Frost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will be getting much darker after this- Readers beware.

It had been a week since Bill started his violation on Dipper. Though he hasn’t done any real damage-well any more than he already has-Dipper had discovered that the damage he took in the mindscape, affected him as well in the real world. He had learned that the first night he came to, when he got up from his bed as soon as he heard Mabel stir, with an aching pain on his back. One look in the mirror told him all he needed to. But over the week, Bill made sure to give the boy at least a bruise or two every day. Sometimes the bruises given to him were easy to hide, but the majority of the time it was difficult to do so without his sister, Grunkle, or anyone else knowing and asking questions. But there were some marks that he could easily explain without them thinking anything of it.

It’s amazing how well you can become at telling lies when you’re trying to keep the one you love the most, safe.

As of now, he was currently in the shower, scrubbing away at his skin until it was raw and red. He started to do that a lot more often these days, specifically early in the mornings after Bill finished off his exploration, and there were times when he would use up all the soap and have to search and scour the whole house for more. But it was hard to do so now. The demon had made it a habit to wake the boy up at six a.m. and leave him traumatized and alone with his own thoughts. He avoided looking into mirrors at any chance he got. He felt paranoid that Bill was watching him. And he also hated looking at himself. Every time he did, it would become just another painful reminder of how weak he was. His chocolate brown eyes that once seemed to be filled with life and curiosity, were now lifeless and dark with a hidden secret. His skin that was colorful and rosy became pale and sickly. He looked like a dead corpse brought back to life, but left without a soul.

As he shut off the shower, he stood still. Staring blankly at the wall. He knew he should’ve been looking for a way to stop Bill and he tried. The day after Bill had touched him, he started doing research on the demon and tried to find out how to get rid of him. But Bill had been watching, and the moment night fell, the demon pounced. Dipper shuddered before looking down at his body, a major mistake on his part. The boy had more bruises on him than he could count and Bill had found new ways to make him feel sick. His torso, chest, and back were littered with dark patches of purple and off green-yellow spots, along with deep scarring bite marks, some of them still bleeding a little. His arms and legs were riddled with scratches from nails or the floor. But the worst thing that could have ever been put on him, was Bill’s mark. A small dark patch of burned skin in the shape of a single eye with a thin slit for a pupil. The mark was located on the back of his neck, hidden behind the ends of his hair. He had only received the mark a few days ago but it still burned and ached just the same as when Bill had placed it on him.

“For binding,” Bill had said as he placed his hand on his neck. A raging pain that felt like fire ate at his skin, making him cry and scream, and beg. It had lasted for a mere minute, but the pain made it seem like forever. It was a miracle that he hadn’t passed out by the time he was done.

Dipper reached a shaky finger behind his neck and lightly grazed the mark. He hissed, sucking in sharply and jerking his hand away. It burned and prevented him from even daring to try to remove it. Another safety tactic Bill had placed it on, that way Dipper would have no way of ever getting rid of him. The demon could will him into the mindscape at ease without even caring of where he might be. And that scared him the most.

The boy tried his hardest to fake normalcy. He did everything in his power to not draw attention and keep the secret hidden, but Bill was making it hard for him. He found it hard sometimes to force that same happy smile and even a small laugh when he knew that at night he’d have to relive a nightmare. And each passing day, Bill was becoming more violent, _touchier_ , and more curious. In fact, it was almost impossible for the dream demon to feel even remotely satisfied.

Dipper shakily reached out to pull the shower curtain back, slowly though. He had become afraid that someone would be watching him, waiting for him and seeing him and questioning him. Just _questioning_ that there was something up and pry it out of him, causing everything to fall apart. He let go of the breath he had been holding when he saw that there was no one and he relaxed, only slightly though. As he stepped out, he suddenly fell with a _thud_ , hitting the ground and his body shaking and his eyes blurry. This happened every morning, right after he showered. He would just break down into sobs. And everything that happened the night before would come crashing around him, making him miserable.

And last night was far worse than any night. Bill had come to him with a new surprise.

As he laid in his bed, watching Mabel fall asleep, he knew that it was Bill’s time. He gripped the blankets, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt that familiar sensation of being watched. He held his breath, knowing that Bill was assessing him, trying to find new ways of hurting him.

“Dipper.”

The sound of his name coming from the other had him releasing the air he was holding. Sobs were starting to build up in him and he felt a small whimper leaving him. _Go away…just please go away…_ but if Bill heard his thought, he didn’t comment. Instead, he walked closer, his shoes thudding loudly against the floor. Wait… _walk_? Dipper opened his eyes, curiosity striking him. He slowly sat up, turning and looking towards the demon. Only…it wasn’t a demonic triangle.

What his eyes came to greet was a man, clad in the finest of clothing he had ever seen. He wore a long, golden coat that stopped right at his wrists and met his hands that were covered in black gloves. The outside of the coat seemed to glow and when he caught of glimpse of the inside, his eyes could see a galaxy of stars. Underneath the garment, was a white button-downed shirt, two small pockets on each side, neatly tucked in under a pair of the darkest black dress pants he had ever seen, complete with a shiny pair of dress shoes. His eyes moved up to his face. A smooth tanned face that was clear of any imperfections. His face seemed to be that of a doll, his nose small, cheeks rosy and speckled with freckles, along with lips that were a soft shade of pink. His eyes were a deep hazel, gold mixed with brown, with a mop of dark blonde hair that was long on one side and swept to the side, covering his right eye.

He was perfect, beautiful, and _handsome_ even. But the truth of who he was, _what_ he was, made him appear more evil and sinister than before.

Dipper could feel all the color drain from his face. No longer was the shape of a triangle triggering, it was now a face. A _person_. Someone who could do twice as much harm to him and more considering this wasn’t _just_ a human, but a demon. He jumped back on the bed, covering his body, with the blanket, not letting Bill get any closer to him.

“Y-you’re a _monster!_ ” He snarled at him, rage boiling in him, “H-how can you be so…so cruel?” his voice went hoarse at the end and he tensed as Bill took a step forward, his hazel eyes focused on him. His face remained void of any emotion and he tried to read his eyes and convey what secret that lied in them. But Bill was very good at hiding secrets, and this time was no different. Dipper’s heart was beating so fast he was sure he would go into cardiac arrest. His mind went numb and he was frozen in terror at the spot.

Bill’s tall figure loomed over him, his face masked by the dim moonlight that entered in the room. The only thing visible of him were his eyes, which seemed to be glowing with evil intent. The boy’s breathing hitched as Bill’s hand suddenly shot out. He bit back a cry when he felt the faint feeling of a gloved hand caressing his cheek. The action was sweet, so bitterly sweet and Dipper wanted to cry. His stomach began churning and his mouth salivating with an unnatural amount of saliva. He swallowed, willing the bile starting to rise up to go away. He couldn’t throw up, he _wouldn’t_ throw up. Not now. He wouldn’t let Bill see him as a weak person.

“So weak,” Bill hummed, “yet you act so strong…” Dipper’s eyes fell closed, darkness surrounding him as him mind willed him to go away. But Bill was all around him. Keeping him there in a world of nightmares, “ _Let’s see if we can change that_.”

Then, Dipper screamed.

Pain…pain surrounded him. His eyes shot open with a glossy look as tears proceeded to spill from his eyes. Choked sobs, weak gasps, and loud pleas to stop were all that surrounded the room. He _hated_ this room. He wanted to leave. No longer was it joyful or a safe haven. This place was his prison, his trap. And he had to escape. Finding a sudden burst of willpower, he shoved Bill off of him. The man was caught off guard and fell back on the other side of the bed as the boy scrambled to get away. He ran to his sister’s sleeping form, not caring that this wasn’t reality, reaching out to grab her and wake her up. But the moment his hands touched her shoulder, a barrier of electricity struck him and knocked him back to the floor. He groaned, clutching his throbbing head before opening his wide eyes.

“Mabel…” He whispered, repeating it over and over again before getting up and running back to her, “MabelMabelMabel… _Mabel!_ ” He tried to touch her again, but a black glove covered hand stopped his own and jerked it away roughly. He wailed out, struggling against its vice like grip, “Let me go! Let me GO!” He sobbed, reaching out for his sister, “Mabel! Mabel wake up! Mabel please!” He begged and pleaded, “Let me go…let me go…please…Mabel wake up…please…let me go!”

“Dipper.”

“Mabel! Mabel help me please! Grunkle Stan! HELP!”

“ _Pine Tree_.”

“Just l-let me go! I d-don’t want this a-anymore! Let m-me go! Pl-please! I just want to go home…I want t-to w-wake up and leave…please, Bill! Please let me-!”

“ ** _ENOUGH!_** ”

Silence rang through the dark room. Dipper was scared into silence and he could only stare, trembling and whimpering, as Bill gripped his hand tightly, his eyes glaring into his. His teeth were bared and Dipper noticed for the first time just how sharp they truly were. Bill yanked the boy by the collar of his shirt and tugged him forward, pulling him closer to him. He was still holding his wrist, practically crushing it and making it bruise. Dipper whimpered, positive that that bruise will leave a mark when he wakes up.

“That’s enough, Pine Tree,” Bill hissed, his pupils slitted, “You belong to me now. _You_ made the deal and I saved your sister’s life!”

“ _But I didn’t know that_ this _was the deal!_ ” Dipper cried back, he looked like a child that had lost a game he didn’t know the rules to. He looked at Bill, his eyes wide and anger igniting, “Y-you tricked me! You took advantage of that situation and tricked me!” He sobbed, going limp. Bill still clung to his shirt collar and his wrist, but that hardly mattered now. Nothing mattered now.

The demon was taken aback by the sudden outburst of the boy and he was rendered silence. He clicked his tongue as Dipper went limp, rolling his eyes in an uncaring manner. And he didn’t care. What he did to the boy was for his pure enjoyment. It was fun tearing down a human’s will, and Dipper had a pretty big one. He wanted to see how long the boy would last before he went and blabbered his mouth out to someone. He hoped it was soon, he wanted to destroy someone soon. And he hoped it would be the boy’s sister, or maybe that con man grunkle of theirs. He picked Dipper up, forcing the boy to stand by himself.

“Listen hear, you brat,” He said coldly, “A deals a deal, regardless of anything. I saved Mabel’s life and now you belong to me. And I can do whatever I wish with you. Or…you’d rather prefer me to take back the deal and I harm her instead?” He said coyly. Dipper’s eyes widened and he blanched.

“N-no…you wouldn’t…you can’t-!”

“Oh, but I can and I will. Unless you wanna step up to the plate?” He challenged, dropping him. He stood back and outstretched his hands, a cocky grin on his face, “It’s all on you now, Pine Tree! What are you gonna do? You or her? Everyone’s waiting, kid! Make your choice!”

Dipper felt weak and he wanted to curl up in a ball. But Bill’s words were getting at him. What if the demon really did harm her? Was it wise to call off the deal? The gears in his head were turning and he was looking around nervously.

“Well, Pine Tree? We’re waiting!” Bill called out, placing a hand on the sleeping Mabel’s form. Dipper tensed, eyes on the hand. Something stirred in him, “C’mon kid! Use that brain of yours! I know you can figure this one out; it’s easy!” He cackled, trailing his hand down the length of Mabel’s still form. Dipper curled his hands into fists and charged at him.

“Leave her _alone!_ ” He growled. But Bill’s image flickered out of the way and Dipper was left barricading into his sister and then bouncing back to the floor as the barrier triggered to life and shocked him. He yelped, twitching slightly as the last of the shocks rode off.

“Aw, don’t look so sad, Pine Tree,” Bill chuckled darkly, reappearing in front of the boy. Dipper groaned and tried to move, but found that he was unable too, “Me and you are gonna get along great! Besides, you wouldn’t want this happening to Mabel would you? Just imagine how dim Shooting Star’s glow will become. Can’t you see it now? The life in her eyes leaving and the guilt weighing you down because you _know_ you can’t save her.”

Dipper shut his eyes and tears slipped past, trailing down the sides of his face. The twelve-year old knew Bill was right, he couldn’t even save himself! He felt Bill’s hands roaming along his body. It wasn’t long before his clothes disappeared as well. He let out choked sobs with each bite from Bill, the demon’s teeth sank deep into him, almost like a shark’s. Blood drops slipped from each and every one he received. He felt Bill’s claw like nails suddenly rake upon his skin and he whimpered, their stinging pain causing him to flinch in discomfort and leaving behind red angry lines. He squeezed his eyes tighter, trying to imagine that he wasn’t here. Then a hand wrapped around his crotch and he tensed, biting back a broken sob.

“Look at how hard you’ve become~,” Bill’s voice cooed and Dipper felt sick all over again. One stroke. Two strokes. Bill kept stroking him and touching him and making him dirty all over. He didn’t dare refuse. The first time he did and uttered a word for Bill to stop, he was met with a fire covered hand on his back, making him scream in agony. And to his horror, he found that as he was screaming he came. And he was even more horrified when Bill licked him clean. In the end, Bill continued to soil the boy, knowing very well that he was starting to get the child to crack.

When all was done, he finally left the boy alone.

It was six a.m., same time as usual when Bill left him to curl up into a ball and sob himself to exhaustion. But as usual, he didn’t go back to sleep. He _couldn’t_ go back to sleep.

And as he stood up from the floor of the bathroom, he knew he couldn’t stop it. He had to put up for with it, no matter how rough or traumatizing it was. He wouldn’t let anything happen to his sister. _For Mabel_ , he thought, putting on a fresh new pair of clothing.

For Mabel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But how long before the burden becomes too much?


	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.  
> -Sigmund Freud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one's short! Had to edit it that way otherwise it would've been too long!!
> 
> Trigger Warning Applied-Reader Beware

**_4 Weeks Later, Dipper’s Journal:_ **

_I’ve recently started writing this…I’m not sure why, but maybe it’ll give me some light as to what is happening._

_Pain is what I’ve come to greet every morning. It’s always at six. Too early to wake up, but I’m so afraid of going back to sleep. The last time I did that, nightmares filled my dreams. I haven’t told a word to anyone about this…it’s a secret I’ve been forced to keep. Of course, Mabel and Grunkle Stan have almost nearly caught on, but luckily I’ve managed to sway them off that route. Lying really does help, no wonder why Grunkle Stan always does that._

_That sounded way to kosher, what’s wrong with me?_

_P.s. Does writing a journal about it count as revealing the secret? I’m not sure if I want to find out._

It’s been for weeks and Dipper’s mind has begun spiraling out of control. Every little thing sets him off and it’s practically a chore to try and act like his same old self. He felt trapped, he felt fake, and he felt unreal. He felt like an imposter of the original Dipper, and maybe he was. After all, it seemed that his mind had the courtesy of locking Dipper number one away and hiding him from the world. And in his place was this Dipper; a broken, empty husk that was devoid of all life and joy.

Gone were the days spent outside exploring the woods, the boy became more cautious and wary, finding discrete ways of declining his sister or friends about going in them. He also hadn’t touched his journal. Instead it remained on the shelf collecting dust. The things he found enjoyable became too much to bear and they had a darker appeal to them. Adults scared the crap out of him, especially if they sat near him or even tried speaking to him. Thoughts of what they might do to him if he let his guard down constantly had him on edge, even with some of the people he knew very well.

Dipper had changed very much, and though he may not have seen it himself, others might or will. After all, it was only a matter of time.

The new day started off as a drag, Dipper sat on the couch in the family room surfing idly through the TV. For the moment, his mind was clear of all things bad. For the moment, everything was okay. His sister sat on the ground, knitting another sweater for her pet pig, Waddles. The pig let out an appreciative ‘oink’ as she scratched him behind the ear. Dipper’s eyes landed on her, watching and seeing how happy she seemed to be. He felt a spark of jealousy flare. Mabel didn’t know the darker side of the world. She was still innocent, still pure. _Still a kid_. Meanwhile Dipper was already grown up, already experiencing things that he knew he shouldn’t be. His brain was becoming muddled and he gripped the remote tightly in his hand, his teeth gritting and his face scrunching up.

“Dipper?”

Mabel’s soft voice snapped him back to reality and he blinked, exhaling and loosening his grip on the object. He focused his eyes on Mabel and found that he was crying, “W-what?” He asked, wiping his eyes quickly. His sister frowned and stood up, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and he tried his best not to flinch out of her touch.

“What’s wrong?” She asked. Dipper’s hand was twitching and he had to remember where he was. He was with Mabel. Not…Mabel was here. His sister. She would never hurt him, right? He sucked in slowly and leaned back onto the chair, his shoulder no longer tingling and his heart slowly calming down. He didn’t meet her gaze, instead he looked away, clearing his throat.

“N-nothing’s wrong…my knee just…hurts a little,” He said, working a smile and looking at her. Mabel said nothing, her eyes searching Dipper’s for the truth. But she didn’t seem to see it, which sort of relieved Dipper and disappointed him. It relieved him because he knew she wouldn’t pry, but at the same time, he wanted her to see it. He wanted her to help him, to keep him from drowning and save him; save him from this quicksand that was rapidly dragging him down. Mabel was that vine he needed, but he couldn’t reach her.

His sister looked down at his knee and knelt down, taking it into her hand and kissing the blue Band-Aid that protected it. She smiled back up at Dipper and said something. But the boy had already froze, every part of his body remaining unmoving, and his mind unwilling bringing him into a memory.

_“You taste delicious, Pine Tree~!” Bill’s tongue was on him, tracing along his leg. The wet appendage made the boy cringe and he tried to recoil, but the demon held him firmly, fascinated by his reactions, “Someone’s getting excited! I wonder what else I could try…oh, I know!”_

_Please, god, no, Dipper thought, his eyes squeezing shut as he shivered violently. Bill’s touch was disgusting. He let out a quiet scream as he suddenly felt something warm touch his hardened member. He muffled his cries by biting his knuckles, his eyes squeezing even tighter. Bill’s tongue lapped and danced around him, tasting him and sucking on him. What made things worse was that even though Dipper hated this with an undying passion, his body was reacting to it. He tried to get himself to stop, but his body refused to listen to his mind and mouth._

_“N-no…stop…oh, gosh!” The boy sobbed, his back arching on its own accord and his free hand gripping at the floor. Bill’s hand was on his hip, his head moving up and down. Those alluring hazel eyes were staring at the boy, a knowing look in them. He pulled away and chuckled darkly, his hand stroking him._

_“Give in, Pines. You can’t win.”_

_And then Dipper released, horrified as he wretched himself away from Bill’s gasp curling into a small ball and shaking, sobbing uncontrollably._

“Hey, Dipper? Dipper!”

The young boy snapped back to reality, his body was rigid and he was trembling, tears pouring from his eyes without his consent. His sister was staring at him with the most concerned expression he had ever seen. She tried to reach a hand out to him, but this time he flinched. He _flinched_. Mabel saw this and immediately she stopped moving. Her eyes stared at him with surprise and Dipper knew he made a mistake. A big mistake. And that made him tremble, made him scared and fearful. He reached out for her, pulling her towards him and he held her, hugged her.

Mabel slowly wrapped her arms around her brother’s shaking body and rubbed soft circles onto him. It was rare for Dipper to hug her, they weren’t the kind of siblings that did that too often, but this moment for different. It felt tense, and Mabel’s stomach curled with dread.

“Dipper, what’s wrong?” She asked softly, afraid of startling him. Dipper swallowed and prepared for the answer.

“Bill. Bill’s hurting me, Mabel…he’s t-touching me and _d-dirtying_ me. A-and I can’t do i-it a-anymore! I’m s-so s-sorry!”

But that answer would’ve surely brought death to his sister. It was the answer Dipper had wanted to give, had wanted to say. But instead, he allowed another lie to slip past his lips. What he really said, was this:

“I’m just a little homesick, Mabel,” It was a major lie and understatement on his part. He forced a strained smile as he pulled back, “It’s nothing to worry about. I spaced out a moment and your hand scared me that’s why I flinched. Sorry for worrying you.” Another lie, and he hated the way I came out. It sounded weak and vulnerable. Pitiful. And those negative thoughts brought with it another horrifying flashback.

_“Disgusting,” Bill sneered as the boy avoided his gaze, “You’re pathetic, and you know that, right, Pine Tree? I’d at least thought you’d put up more of a fight today. What happened? Have I broken my new toy today?”_

_Dipper remained curled on the floor, his eyes closed and tears slipping past. He bit his lip as Bill spoke. Maybe he had broken him? After all, it seemed the boy had given up already._

_“Do I need to give you a little boost? We can always bring Mabel into this special little occasion!” Bill’s laugh was dark, menacing, and it made the young boy shudder violently. He weakly sat up, turning to Bill._

_“No…please…I’ll do it…just don’t hurt her,” It was a weak reply, but the fire for protecting his sister at all costs had him saying it. Bill’s lips curled upwards in a satisfactory smile and he sat down on the bed, legs spread and pants and under garments missing._

_“Good boy, now come get your treat~!”_

His sister’s touch brought him back and he looked down at her. Mabel’s eyes softened at him and she gave a sad smile to him, “Aw, Dipper, you should’ve said something!” She replied, hugging him gently again, “I’m here for ya, bro-bro! If you ever want to talk about home, then Dr. Mabel is in the house!” She beamed, giving him a thumbs up. Dipper gave out a weak chuckle and held his own thumb up.

_“Just remember, Pine Tree, even if you tell anyone, you think they’ll still love you? You think they’ll even see you as the same person? Of course not! You’re a vile creature. No one’s going to want to touch if you tell them! You’re lucky I’m even still touching, all things considered. I mean technically I’ve already used you all up…if I’m not here, then who will be? No one. Why? Because they’ll all be disgusted by_ **you _._** _”_

“T-thanks…” He murmured. Mabel nodded and leaned away, leaving Dipper feeling cold. The boy got up and wiped his face, “I’m thirsty…be right back,” He said as he walked to the kitchen, wiping away the tears from his eyes. Mabel watched him go, still smiling, but there was suspicion behind that smile. Suspicion and fear. Along with worry.

What happened to Dipper that day he went to look for the rabbit?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PDEHO VKRXOG VWDB RXW RI WKH NLWFKHQ...


	6. Chapter VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoever wishes to keep a secret must hide the fact that he possesses one. 
> 
> -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I might've gone overboard with this one...read at your own risk! ((Also, thanks for all the comments of encouragement and fic refs! I'll be sure to check those stories out!!))

“What are you doing Dipper? You’re screwing up everything! Get it together!” Dipper berated himself as he reached to pull a pit soda from the fridge. Mabel had almost began to question him. Everything was almost ruined! He popped opened the can and took a sip, spitting it out in the sink just as quickly. He covered his mouth, hovering over the sink. No, he couldn’t puke now. Not now with Mabel so close to him! He forced down the bile, dumping the whole can of soda down the drain. Once done, he turned on the faucet. Listening to the running water before cupping his hands underneath it and allowing the water to pour into his opened palms. He splashed some water on his face, trying to clear his scattered thoughts. He had to get it under control. He had almost just spilled the secret to Mabel. He almost endangered her! He reached for a paper towel and turned off the water, listening to the remaining drip-drops.

“You can do this…” He took a deep breath in.

_Drip_.

“You got this…” Then he exhaled, slowly, his hands gripping the paper towel tightly.

“I can do this.” Breathe in.

“I can…c-can…” Breathe out.

“F-for…Mabel…” Breathe in.

“What’s for me?” _Stop._

_Drop_.

Dipper turned around quickly as he felt a hand touch his shoulder, his heart nearly stopped, and he felt a flare of anger rise up in him as he glared at the young girl, “God-! Geez, Mabel can you _fucking stop_ sneaking up on me?” He snarled, stepping away from the sink. Silence rang throughout the kitchen as Mabel stared in horror at her brother.

“W-what did you…just…say…?”

“I said to _fucking stop!_ I don’t need any of your _damn_ jump-scares!” He yelled. He didn’t know why he was so angry or even getting after her, but the rush that came with it felt good. For once, he felt good. Someone else was getting hurt and not him, and he felt so fucking good and free for once!

“Hey, what’s going on in here?” A gruff voice asked. Mabel didn’t turn, she only pointed at her panting brother, shock written all over her face as she tried to piece the situation together.

“Grunkle Stan, Dipper's saying bad things,” She said, her voice cracking slightly as she glanced at the old man with quivering lips. Another flare of anger ran through him and Dipper grabbed his sister’s shoulders, making her scream out as he shook her out of rage, his mind numb. Everything was just numb and he just _couldn’t stand it_. How can they be so normal and happy while this shit was going on to him? How can they laugh and smile while he has to wallow in silence of what was happening to him.

“Why do you have to be a damn tattle-teller?! Can’t you keep your mouth shut for _one fucking second! You stupid little-_!” _SLAP!_

“Dipper!”

**_CRASH!_ **

Dipper could faintly hear the sound of something dropping and a sudden great force fell upon the young boy.

Reality came crashing down as Dipper was suddenly pushed against the counter, his mind was spinning and he felt his hand stinging. He blinked and looked in front of him, Mabel was on the ground, her legs splayed out to one side as one hand supported her on the ground and another held the side of her face. She was being comforted by Grunkle Stan, cries of pain coming from her. She was practically a sobbing mess. Dipper looked down at his hand, his whole palm was red. He looked back at her, his turn now to be shocked by his actions. Her lower lip was bleeding and her cheek was red from where he could see. Guilt settled in and he turned to Grunkle Stan who was staring at him with worry and confusion. It was clear he was upset, but the man didn’t say a word.

“Go upstairs,” Stan said, grimacing, “We’ll talk later.”

Dipper said nothing, closing his mouth and looking down in silence. He wished he had his hat on so that he could cover his face. He walked by them solemnly, glancing at Mabel who looked at him through tear streaked eyes. She quickly looked away though, whimpering and sniffling. As soon as he was gone from the doorway, he stood a few feet away so they wouldn’t see him.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Stan said as he picked up the sobbing girl, gently cradling her and consoling her, “Let’s get ya patched up okay?” Mabel continued to cry and sob, still holding her throbbing cheek. Dipper felt the anger return, why wasn’t anyone consoling him? Where was his comfort? He wanted to march in there and push Mabel out of the way so that he could be the one in Grunkle Stan’s arms. He wanted to be comforted because he needed it the most.

Then, he paused, turning away from the doorway and biting his lip. Why was he acting so mean and nasty? Why had he done that? Wasn’t he letting Bill touch _him_ so that he wouldn’t hurt _her_? So why was he being cruel? Why was he turning into the monster?

No, he willed himself to think of something else, forced himself to turn the other cheek to a problem that he knew would only get worse. So for the time being, he was going to have to shut off those emotions. Pretend they didn’t exist. He couldn’t afford to lose her, not when he needed someone to turn to when there was no one. He found himself at the door of the attic room. He had started calling it that, no longer did he claim as his and Mabel’s room. It didn’t deserve that title. The dark secrets and evil doings the room held made it seem cold and eerier. He reached for the doorknob, but stopped. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t go in there alone. He gulped, backing away like a frightened animal, with his ears pulled back and his tail tucked between his legs.

Dipper felt the breath in him go away, he was suffocating. He reached for his throat, tears prickling his eyes. He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think! He had to get out of here…he had to…without so much as another look at the door, he turned and ran. Fleeing down the stairs like a madman, he ran towards the front door with no shoes, only socks. He felt like someone was chasing him, like someone was going to get him and grab him.

“ _Dipper_!”

No, no, no! He wouldn’t look back, he couldn’t. He ran into the wood, running blindly to anywhere he could be safe. Anywhere at all. He didn’t know how far he had run, didn’t know where his feet were taking. But when he finally came to, huffing and puffing, sweaty, and trembling, he let his knees buckle and he dropped, releasing all the contents in his stomach.

“Dipper?” A voice called, “Dude, is that you?”

When he turned around, he called out the name of the being behind him, then fell into a world of darkness.

 

**▻△▽◅**

Wendy had finally managed to finish the cleaning the dinner table. Her brothers and dad were already preparing for bed and she too was ready. It had been a long and dull day at the mystery shack, she found it strange though that she had hardly seen Dipper. The boy had barely even made his presence known. Was he okay? Was he getting sick? Her worry for him grew tenfold and didn’t get any better, especially when she would catch glimpses of him at random times. The boy looked…sick. He had an air around him that just didn’t seem right. Something was wrong. She knew, but what?

Taking the full garbage bag, she tied it up before shouldering it and walking out of the home. The sun was just setting and the moon was starting to make itself known. She hummed to herself as she lifted the garbage bin and threw the bag into it, trying to block out the horrible stench of old food and other things by holding her breath. Once done, she released it and breathed normally, walking back to the house before the sound of cracking twigs and dry leaves stopped her. She turned around, confusion and alert on her face as she reached to get her pocket knife.

She moved forward, staying as quiet as possible before the sound of a retching noise filled her hears and she covered her mouth at the sight she saw. Dipper was hunched over, clad in nothing but his shirt, shorts, and socks. He was trembling and crying. She watched as his body lurched forward with each heave he gave as he released the contents within him. Once he stopped to regain his breath, she spoke up.

“Dipper? Dude, is that you?” She had asked, her voice low and soft so as to not startle him. It didn’t work though. He jumped up and turned to her. She felt her eyes widen at the state he was in. His hair was a mess with sticks and twigs sticking out of it and it stuck to his face, his skin was almost as pale as freshly fallen snow, and his eyes…she swallowed heavily. He had large noticeable bags under his hollow and lifeless eyes. Eyes that seemed to be filled with an unsettling fear that no child should ever have.

“W-Wendy.”

His voice was hoarse and low, as though he’d been screaming. She reached forward to him, but he had already passed out before she could catch him. She ran to his side, pulling the boy to her, “Dipper? Dipper?!” She called, placing her ear to his chest. He was still breathing and his heart was still beating. Looking around, she lifted the unconscious child up gently, surprised by how light he was, “Don’t worry, Dip, I got you,” She said in a soothing voice as she walked back to her house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GSV TVZIH SZEV YVVM KFG RM NLGRLM. KRMV GIVV'H HFIEREZO RH LFI OZHG MLGRLM...
> 
> ((Also, I know what Dipper is doing may seem...very strange, but remember he is twelve, and stuff, like what Bill doing, is warping his mind and changing him in ways he never may have acted in before. I apologize if you don't agree with it.))


	7. VII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To know that one has a secret is to know half the secret itself.
> 
> -Henry Ward Beecher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah, thank you guys! We are only one chapter away from that scene that's going to be poor Dipper's downfall. Brace yourself, this bumpy ride is about to become a rollercoaster.

Mabel sat by the window alone, her knees tucked under her chin and an ice pack on her swollen lip and cheek. The scene from earlier was replaying in her head. Her concern for her brother was overwhelming the urge of anger for him. She could still feel the sting of the slap her brother had given her and that alone was enough to bring her back to tears.

“Oh, Dipper,” She whimpered, staring out the window for any signs of her brother. It had been hours since she last saw him and the fear was killing her. She had seen him run past the kitchen door as Grunkle Stan was carrying her out, and she had called out for him. But he didn’t seem to hear her or maybe he was ignoring her? She couldn’t say nor could she tell. The whole sudden thing was unexpected and possibly the last scenario she could have ever expected out of him. She looked at her reflection in the window, training her eyes to focus on her cheek and lip. Her lip had finally stopped bleeding, but there was sure to be an ugly scab over it and she was positive it would hurt for the days to come. Her cheek was red, and the pain there was light, but it wasn’t as great as the aching emotion raging inside her heart. Dipper had hurt her. And she wasn’t even sure what she did wrong. Was it really that bad of her to tell Grunkle Stan that he was angry?

She sighed and pressed her knees tighter against her. The sudden change in her brother was shocking and what was worse was that she didn’t have a clue as to what could’ve caused it. She wiped away the tears before they had a chance to escape. Something was wrong with Dipper, and she had to find out. But where to begin? Where did she even start?

“Start…” She murmured, then she sat up a little, “The start!” her eyes widened and she stared at the woods, an idea coming to her. Grunkle Stan suddenly walked into the room. His hair was tussled, he was soaking wet, and his eyes were filled with worry. Mabel turned to him and gave a hopeful look to which Stan shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Mabel…we’ll have to wait till morning.” Her heart dropped.

“What? No! We can’t! Dipper’s out there! We have to find him _now_!” She pleaded, getting up and running to him. The ice pack fell to the ground behind with a clatter, but she hardly cared about that right now, “Please, Grunkle Stan, we have to go out! I’ll go with you this time! We can look together!”

“No, Mabel. It’s already raining cows and dogs or however that phrase goes,” Stan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He knelt down in front of her and placed both hands on her shoulders, “Look, I know you’re worried about Dipper, and I am too, but it’s lightening and thundering out there and he’s not anywhere near the closer part of the woods.”

“But…but what if…what i-if something b-bad happens to him?” She cried.

“Nothing won’t. Dipper’s a smart kid and I know he’s found someplace safe to run to. We’ll find him, Mabel. And when he comes back, we’ll have everything explained and he’ll be fine,” He assured her, staring into her eyes. Mabel’s bottom lip was quivering and her eyes were already filling up with tears. She bursted out into sobs and fell against him, clinging to him and crying.

_I just want my brother back!_

**▻△▽◅**

_“You can’t escape me, Pine tree!!”_

Flashes and blurs of images ran through like an old timey photograph film. Faces, voices, and hands whizzed by him.

_“We’re going to get along great, you and me!”_

A loud laughter rang around, freezing everything. His heart wasbeating heavily. His breathswerelow and shallow.

_“You wouldn’t want Mabel getting hurt, now would you?”_

Can’t let it happen. Have to move. Have to run. Why can’t I run?!

_“Pathetic…weak…no one will love you!”_

Drowning. Sinking. Can’t breathe. Darkness surrounded everything like a rug. Harsh, heavy, rough.

_You can’t escape!_

Let me go!

_You can’t escape!_

Help! Please!

**_You can’t escape!_ **

**NO!**

Dipper woke with a start. He gasped and clung to the sheets of the bed he was in. His heart was pounding and his mind was racing. What happened? Where was he? How long had he been out? He took in deep shallow breaths as he dropped his head and closed his eyes. Brief images of what had passed fluttered through his mind. He cracked his eyes open a little, guilt consuming. He remembered the way Mabel had looked at him, she was broken. Torn by betrayal that her own brother would ever do such a thing. He unfurled one of his hands slowly and looked at the palm of it. He could still remember the dull ache in it from having slapped her. How could he do that? What made him want to do that to his sister?

“Mabel…I’m so sorry,” He choked out, bringing his knees to him and burrowing his face between them.

“Hey! You’re awake-are you alright?”

Then it hit him. Wendy. He had ran to Wendy’s house after the whole thing had happened. He jolted up and looked at her. The red head was standing above him, a genuine concerned look on her face, “Dipper? What happened?” She asked gently. The young boy caved at her words and he whimpered, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her. His body shook and soft sounds of muffled cries were heard. Wendy wrapped her own arms around him and gave him a gentle hug.

“Hey,” She cooed, like a mother soothing a child, “It’s alright…you’re okay.” He shook his head rapidly, no, he wasn’t. He wasn’t okay. He was hurting, unstable, and crumbling. He was ready to give in to this losing battle he was facing. He hated the secret he kept. He hated knowing that he was starting to act out against his will. He wanted to go home, he wanted his mother to be here. He wanted Mabel. He wanted this to stop. He wanted…he wanted….he _wanted_.

He wanted so many things, but he wasn’t able to obtain any of them.

The warm arms around him disappeared and he clung tighter, not wanting to let go of the only safety line he was able to get, “Dipper, c’mon buddy, talk to me,” Wendy urged, pulling his arms away from her slowly. Dipper whimpered, wanting to keep her there, but he let her have her way. Part of him because he knew he was already blowing up everything, and the other part was because he was afraid she would lash out if he didn’t comply. He let his arms drop, but Wendy held his wrists softly, unlike the way Bill gripped them. She knelt down beside him and sighed.

“Dip?” She murmured. He weakly looked up at her, his eyes red and puffy from crying. That’s all he seemed to be doing lately. Crying. He seemed to cry about everything now. He hated this low feeling in him, but he couldn’t find a way to get rid of it.

“…s-sorry…” Came his hoarse reply. Wendy shook her head.

“Don’t apologize, dude. You’ve done nothing wrong,” She said with a small smile. That’s where she was wrong. He did do wrong. Maybe not to her. But to his sister, Mabel. The one he was going through pain for. The one he was trying to protect.

“No…I did, I did do something wrong!” He cried, “I hurt Mabel. She’s never going to talk to me again. I hurt her, Wendy. _I_ _hurt her_.” His throat was tightening and his words became forceful as he tried to get them out in the open.

“Don’t say that, Dipper, I’m sure she’ll talk to you again, you just need to apologize,” Wendy said, trying to sound helpful to him. But the boy was hysterical. He wouldn’t listen. He _knew_ Mabel wasn’t going to talk to him ever again. It would be the most logical thing to do.

“No she won’t, Wendy. I _hit_ her. I…I called her some mean names and I just…I lost it,” He said ashamed, his head hanging low as he didn’t meet her gaze. He was a bad person, a rotten apple. A bad seed. Horrible. He was just horrible.

“Why did you lose it? Is there something you want to talk about?” She asked quietly, rubbing circles on his back. They felt soothing to him, but he also had to try not to cringe from all the cuts, burns, and bruises she was touching.

“N-no…I can’t…” he murmured quietly. And he couldn’t. If he did, then who knew what Bill would end up doing? Wendy exhaled slowly and he looked up at her cautiously, “I’m sorry, Wendy…but I can’t.” She nodded in understanding before giving him one last hug.

“It’s alright dude, just get some rest. I’ll take you to the shack tomorrow.”

Dipper tensed and he quickly turned to Wendy, “N-not yet! I…I can’t go back yet!” He practically begged. He didn’t want to go back to Bill. He didn’t want to sleep in that attic. He didn’t want to go back! He was breathing heavy again, his mind racing and he felt like he would pass out at any moment.

“Whoa! Whoa! Dipper!” Wendy exclaimed, running to the boy and catching him before he could fall off the bed. The boy had gone a sickly pale and he looked like he was about to have a panic attack, “H-hey, Dip, it’s alright! You don’t have to go back yet. But Stan and Mabel might be freaking out about you. How about I just call them and let them know that you’re safe? You can stay here just until you have the strength to go back. Is that okay?”

He nodded, curling into her and clinging to her. He tried his best not to fall asleep. But between the warmth of the covers and Wendy’s arms, he found himself dozing off.

**▻△▽◅**

When Dipper’s eyes cracked open, he was met with a different ceiling. He was about to start panicking, but then the events of last night passed through his mind and he sank back into the comfy pillow beneath him. He closed his eyes for a moment, before jolting upwards. He had actually slept last night! His body felt well rested and rejuvenated! And even his negative attitude was gone. Maybe all he did need was a few winks of sleep. He sighed, feeling fresh. There was no Bill…no pain. No crying. Everything was just fine.

But then, the guilt from yesterday struck him. He had to apologize to Mabel…but not yet. He couldn’t yet. He just wasn’t ready to face her. He pushed the covers back and got out of the bed. Where was Wendy? He opened her bedroom door and peeked out into the hallway. There was a voice somewhere down the hallway. Almost like they were talking on the phone.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Pines, Dipper’s fine.” It was Wendy, “Well…he’s safe that is. No, no. It’s just…he seems different. More… _fragile_.”

Dipper sucked in sharply, he wasn’t doing a good job of hiding his secret. They were catching on quick and all because of yesterday! “I hate this…” he groaned to himself.

“Well, the thing is, Mr. Pines…Dipper seems a bit unstable-no, not crazy, just slightly unhinged. He’s obviously hiding something and it’s bothering him majorly. I don’t know what it is, but it’s bad. And it looks as if the more he keeps hiding it, the worse it’s going to get.”

He knew she was right. But if she knew why he couldn’t talk about it, then maybe they would all just leave him alone. He could do this. He’s defeated Bill before, what makes this time different? Well for one thing…he didn’t have Mabel with him this time. He sank down to the floor on his knees. What was he going to do? Everything was becoming so hard to control. Why did people have to care? He thought about running off somewhere again, but what good would that do? Bill would probably find him…make things more difficult for him.

_Pine Tree_

A small breath of air fluttered past his neck making him jump. He looked around, the room still had color and there was no sign of Bill. He shakily stood up, great another symptom to his madness. He wrapped his arms around his frame and hugged himself tightly, he was starting to become paranoid. Not a good sign. He shivered and turned to head back to Wendy’s room, not hearing the last bit of her conversation with Grunkle Stan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zkdw vwduwv dv vpdoo, fdq ehfrph vrphwklqj elj...


	8. VIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.
> 
> ― André Malraux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is short, it was WAY too long so I had to chop it down. Take it as a sort of breather chapter to calm ya'll down before the storm hits.

Dipper felt restless, anxious, and over all downright paranoid. Something was wrong. His stomach was filling up with dread as he laid silently in Wendy’s bed. He wasn’t allowed to get up because of how weak he had been. Turns out he needed more sleep than he had thought. He had hoped that being here in Wendy’s home would help him to possibly get the sleep he had missed, but lately at night, when he would curl up and try to get the sleep that he had so desperately needed, he would just feel that something was wrong. It’s like that sudden feeling of dread that fills your gut, making you want to get up and just do _something_ because you know, you just _know_ that something bad is going to happen. His stomach grumbled and he looked towards the plate of food placed on the bedside table. He was hungry, but he just couldn’t find the strength to eat.

The boy sighed and leaned further back against the pillows, he couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten food, but lately, he knew that every time he attempted to, a sickly feeling would make his stomach churn and force him to have to choke back the bile in him. This time was no different. Shifting in the bed, he sat up and reached over to bring the plate to him. Picking up the fork, he picked at a piece of chopped meat, stabbing it with the utensil and bringing it slowly to his lips as his mouth watered, but not in the good way. As he opened his mouth, he could just feel his stomach telling him no. He placed the fork gently in his mouth, pulling it out slowly and leaving the meat on his tongue. He tentatively chewed down on it, the flavor ran over his taste buds, but to him it seemed bland and tasteless. He did his best to quickly swallow it down before grabbing for another piece. But he could barely get by it before his stomach suddenly lurched in a horrible way and he dropped the fork and covered his mouth, eyes wide as he scrambled off the bed to the trash can across from him and spat it out, trying to calm down his breathing.

Wendy entered the room silently, noticing the plate that had been dropped to the ground and food scattered about. She looked towards the panting boy and stared at him with concern, but she didn’t say a word. The first time she had been witness to it, it nearly got her freaking out, but the boy had shrugged her off and told her that he’d been sick lately. She worried it was a stomach virus or the flu, but the boy hadn’t shown any symptoms of the sort.

Once Dipper had collected his thoughts, he took a deep breath and turned around, not noticing the red head yet. It was already past eight at night and he wondered what Mabel and Grunkle Stan had been up to. He hadn’t seen them in two days, not even when Stan had dropped off a pair of clothing for him and his shoes. And surprisingly, his hat. He crawled back over to the bed, bending down for a moment to clean up the spill of food before flopping down on top of the covers in utter exhaustion. He closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would come, but instead horrible memories of Bill entered his mind and had him sitting up with a fearful daze. Wendy had been watching the whole thing and she sighed, feeling a pool of grief enter her. She had yet to see the boy fall asleep and she hoped that maybe if they watched a movie, the calm setting would possibly allow Dipper to open up a little.

“Hey, Dipper?” She called softly, making sure not to frighten the child any more than he already was. Dipper looked towards her with a small jolt and blinked in surprise

“W-Wendy, hi,” He said, climbing off the bed and walking towards her. Wendy smiled softly at him, since his stay, Dipper had been a bit more affectionate than usual, along with clingy, _very_ clingy. It was a miracle that she had gotten him to stay put in bed. Dipper wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, she returned it, giving him a slight squeeze and ruffling his hair. It was cleaner now, brighter and healthier than it had been. She couldn’t believe how eager Dipper was to take a bath, but she didn’t question it that much, after all, who wouldn’t want to bathe after running in the woods for who knows how long? _Dipper wouldn’t_ , her mind thought, _he wouldn’t because he hates baths. You know that._ She frowned that was true, Dipper was always saying that he was too busy to be in the tub, but now, it seemed as if he couldn’t get enough of it. She shook the thought away and filed it for later, for now, she had to tend to the boy.

“Hey, Dip, I thought you might wanna see a movie? Its Thursday today! And you know what that means; movie marathon night!” She grinned, trying sound excited in hopes to get the boy in the mood. Dipper blinked slowly, allowing the words to sink into his brain before he slowly and carefully returned the smile, as if the annual night of movies just registered in him.

“Oh yeah…I forgot about that,” He said, rubbing his arm nervously. Wendy noticed this and paused.

“If you don’t feel up to it, we don’t have to,” She added quickly, but Dipper shook his head.

“No! I mean, no, I am, I want to watch a movie!” He said, his eyes brightening up a bit. Wendy smiled in victory to herself, she had finally managed to get that dead look out of the boy’s eyes. Nodding, she went to the TV and flicked it on, soon both of them were on the bed, watching another one of Gravity Fall’s cheesy horror films, _Dreaming Today but Also Not Quite!_ Wendy tried to liven up the atmosphere, saying things that would hopefully get the boy to laugh and pointing out on how cheesy the actors were.

But the boy remained quiet, his eyes were focused on the TV, but at the same time, they weren’t. In fact, it seemed as if it was only Dipper’s body that was here, but the actual boy was gone. She sighed and resumed watching the movie.

_Dipper, where’ve you gone?_ She wondered, settling down on the bed, a sad frown on her face.

**▻△▽◅**

Mabel scrambled frantically throughout the attic. She pushed aside boxes and papers, moved furniture and even scoured through Dipper’s and hers luggage. She had tied her hair up into a ponytail and the loose strands stuck to her face from sweat and her eyes were narrowed with an unbreakable determination. She had taken off her sweater and tied it around her waist, exposing her light purple t-shirt underneath. She huffed as she looked around the disorganized room. But she couldn’t find it. She couldn’t find that dang journal of her brother’s!

“Dang it, Dipper,” She groaned, “Where’d you put it?” She slumped down onto the floor and felt tears sting her eyes. She just wanted the book to help her brother. She wanted to know what had exactly happened. He had to have written down something! He had to have hidden it somewhere in this room. She sniffled and wiped her eyes, she looked around, in one last desperate attempt, “Please, please be here,” She begged. Suddenly something from behind her fell down with a _clunk_. She jolted around and turned her head quickly. There, on the floor, was one of Dipper’s weird little rocks that had fallen. She stood up shakily and walked over towards it, she picked it up slowly and looked it over.

Walking back a little, she looked over the shelf and saw that the rest of the collection was on the top shelf. Grabbing another sturdy box, she pushed it towards the shelf. Panting, she stood up and climbed on it, placing the rock back in its place before noticing something else. The journal! She broke into a broad grin, “Yes!” She cried joyfully and reached for it. Pulling it out, she lost her footing and her eyes widened as she felt herself falling backwards. She squeaked and let out a small, ‘ _oof!_ ’ as she landed on her back, the book lying flat on her chest as she breathed heavily. As she busied herself with trying to regain her breathing and sitting up, another small journal had fallen upon the pile of sweaters she had scattered about, she ignored it for the moment and smiled at the book in her lap.

“Don’t worry…Dipper,” She panted between breaths, “Mabel’s gonna save you!” Though if she had only turned around to see the other journal, she would’ve seen what it really was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The path a Shooting Star may take will end up leading it to its demise...


	9. IX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is like a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.
> 
> \- Mark Twain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo-wee! This one's a dozy!!! Hope you enjoy it! ((Cookies to those who figure out the new character's identity!))
> 
> ((Edit- Chapter has been fixed! Sorry for the confusion!))

Dipper paced around the floor of the bedroom silently. The feeling was back again. He felt like something was calling him. Something was pulling him. He looked to the window and stared out at it. He walked over to it and pressed his forehead against the cool glass, he felt a need to go out there and go back to the shack. He swallowed and moved away from the window and walked over to the bed to lay down. His head had just barely touched down on the pillow before he suddenly blacked out.

When he awoke, he was alone. Everything was black, but he could see different outlines of things in the background.

“Hello?” He called out. His voice echoed around him and he shivered, the tugging feeling came back and he hugged himself. Where was he? He could hear a soft shuffle somewhere. Was someone here? He felt a rush of joy fill him and he was about to call out, but then he stopped. What if it was Bill? True the other hadn’t laid a hand on him once since his stay at Wendy’s, but what if this time he showed up? What if he got fed up with Dipper’s no shows and got furious? The boy gulped and covered his mouth, hoping to muffle his rapid breathing. He walked forward cautiously, the shuffling noise became louder and he could hear voices. It was like someone talking to another person. He could see a few movements up ahead and suddenly there was a loud scream.

“Stanford!” he jerked at the name and froze. His eyes widened in realization. _That voice was_ …he ran forward, heart thumping in his chest. It couldn’t be!

“Grunkle Stan! Grunkle Stan!” he called out. He skidded to a sudden halt as the blackness faded and color became apparent. He was in the attic, right in the center of the room. He looked around for Stan or possibly Mabel. He quirked an eyebrow in confusion, his eyes glancing about in hopes to see any sign of movement.

“There you are!”

He looked in front of him, his Grunkle was standing in the doorway, hands on his hips and his eyes narrowed at him. He frowned at him, obviously not pleased by something, “Where have you been, Stanford?” Stan asked. Dipper’s confusion grew.

“What do you mean?” He asked. Stan stepped forward-no, he stepped _through_ him. Dipper gasped and touched himself, shocked at that. He felt solid so then why did Stan…? He turned around and paled. There was a young man on the bed, beneath the covers. He looked…sickly. “Wait…I-I thought your name was…?” His voice trailed off as walked over to Stan, but the man paid him no mind. Dipper figured it was just because he couldn’t see him.

“Stanford, I asked you a question,” He said. The man remained motionless, the only sign of him even being alive was the up and down movement of the covers, “Stanford?” Stan grouched, yanking the blanket back roughly. Dipper gaped.

“H-hey! S-stop!” The twelve year cried as Stan lifted up the lifeless man. He shook him roughly before tossing him to the ground. Dipper felt his blood run cold, how could Stan do that to him?!

“Get up, you _disgusting_ thing!”

Dipper’s body froze, every fiber in his entire being stopped at those words. He blinked back tears and stared in horror at the man he had grown to trust. He couldn’t believe that Stan would say something like that to the obviously weak man. It seemed so much different than his actual Grunkle, he had expected him to be gentle with him and comfort him…not this! “How could you say that? How can you be so mean to him?! He’s hurt! Don’t you see it?!” He cried, backing away as his anxiety began to build up. He felt cold, he felt jumpy. Nothing was right! He began to breathe heavily, his breath suddenly hitching as he struggled to get a grip on reality. _This is just a dream! A weird dream…but still only a dream!_

“Dipper?” He exhaled and turned around, relief flashing across his face.

“Mabel!” He ran to her, surprised that he could even touch her. Mabel’s eyes stared into his, confusion and anger in them. He swallowed and backed away a little, “Mabel?” He whispered. His sister’s gaze grew cold as she looked at him.

“You did this to me,” She said. Dipper blinked and suddenly she was holding her cheek, crying and sobbing and bleeding, “You _hurt me!_ ” She shouted at him, “ _I hate you! I hate you!_ ” And then he didn’t exist anymore, Mabel ran right through him and towards their grunkle before the two froze, as though someone had cast a freezing spell on them. The other whimpered and groaned, his body weakly trying to get up as Dipper stared in horror. Then, the stranger lifted his head, and he felt his breath hitch, the man looked just like...He shook his head, trying to break away the thought as their eyes connected for the first time, and he could see just how lifeless his eyes were behind his glasses, he was so broken; like him. Bruises littered his whole frame, along with claw marks, and bites. His body was scarred, riddled with use and abuse. His hair was filthy, dirty and rugged. His clothes were disheveled, tattered, and torn. His overall appearance showed that he had completely given up on taking care of himself.

"B-Bill did this to you...didn't he?" Dipper asked quietly, the man said nothing. In fact he was silent, the only sound coming from him was his harsh, rugged breathing. Dipper stepped forward, and only then did the other speak, his voice low and hoarse.

“G…go…back…” The man said, taking in a deep breath as though he were struggling. Tears were slipping down Dipper’s face as he watched him try to stand up on weak legs. He was skinny, malnourished. Dipper suddenly covered his nose and mouth and tried not to gag. A horrible stench, one of death, surrounded the weak man, “…Y-you…m…must ret…return…” the other rasped, reaching a hand towards Dipper, “H-he’ll h-hurt h…her…”

“You mean…Mabel?” He croaked, swallowing thickly. The other nodded before a sudden look of alertness came to him. Dipper felt it too along with him. A sense of foreboding that someone or _something_ was coming.

_Pine Tree?_

“G-go! H-he’s f-found you!” The older had let out a horrible cough, blood landing on his hand before he staggered towards him. Dipper tensed and tried to block out the stench. There was a thumping outside the closed door, like heavy feet walking up the stairs.

_Pine Tree, is that you?_

“ _ **GO**_!” The other yelled, grabbing Dipper’s arm and tugging him to the triangular window. Dipper felt himself freezing, but the frail man refused to let him go as he kept pulling him. A white light pierced the middle of the window, before parting the glass both ways as he approached it. Dipper felt dizzy as the footsteps got louder. The ringing in his ears was blocking out any voices that might’ve been speaking. The weak stranger went behind and gave him a rough push just as the wooden door to the attic was beginning to open.

“I’ve found y-!”

He screamed, falling out of the bed and landing on his stomach. He quickly scrambled up, looking around and panting. The room was dark, with the only light coming from the moon through the window. He swallowed, releasing a quick puff of air before he fell back against the cold ground. Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes, but they didn’t fall. Fear made its home in the pit of his heart and he felt as though at any moment Bill was going to pop out and get him. Then, slowly at first, small sobs left his lips. His body shook and his eyes shut tightly. He bit his lip to keep back the oncoming waves of cries.

 _It’s not fair!_ He thought bitterly, turning on his side and curling up. His hands curled into tight fists, holding on to an invisible lifeline as the dream circled around in his head. _It’s_ not _fair!_

“Aw, is my favorite toy breaking already?”

Dipper tensed and let out a gasp, he sat up, whipping his head around in every direction. No, he couldn’t be here. Not now. Not now! He scrambled to his feet, searching every dark crevice of the room. He stopped as he felt his back press up against something. A wall perhaps?

“I bet you wish it _was_ a wall,” A voice whispered to him, trailing fingers along his arms. Dipper screamed, jerking himself away from the other as quickly as he could. But the demon’s arms were upon him, gripping him tightly and pulling him back. The boy cried out, struggling and kicking and fighting.

“Let me go! Let GO!” He screeched, eyes shut and tears spilling out.

“ _But Pine Tree, we haven’t even started the fun yet!_ ” A loud, blood curdling laugh was released from the demon with the sharp teeth. The sound resonated around the room and wrapped around the young boy like a thick quilt. The laugh was mocking him, keeping him rooted to the spot as he was pulled closer and closer to the cackling monster in front of him.

“Wake up! Wake up!” He whispered to himself desperately. He had to wake up, somehow, _anyhow!_ He opened his eyes as he was pressed against Bill, the demon’s sharp smile etching itself permanently into the boy’s mind.

“ _Don’t even try, Pine Tree, I’m_ ** _never_** _letting you wake up again!”_

Dipper screamed bloody murder as a sharp wave of pain flooded his entire being, freezing him and burning him. He could feel himself being shaken, but between the dizziness and the pain, he couldn’t differentiate what it was.

“Dipper?! Dipper! C’mon buddy, snap out of it!”

Wendy? Was that her? Wendy? Wendy, where are you?

“Dipper, wake up, please! Wake up! It’s just a dream! A nightmare!”

_I’m trying Wendy…but I can’t. He has me. I can’t…_

“Dipper Pines!”

The twelve year old woke up with a cry of agony. His arm swung out and he heard it _smack_ against something, but he felt too disoriented to care. He sprang out of the bed like a wild animal. His eyes were wide and he gazed about wildly. Where was he? What happened? Where’s Bill?! Dipper tripped over his own feet and fell to his knees, his hands were trembling and tear drops fell down to the ground.

“Wendy, is everything alright?! Who was screaming?!”

Voices filled the room as the boy closed his eyes. Taking in deep breaths, he reopened them, only to see that there was red trailing down both his arms and onto the floor. Realization struck him like lightening and he sat back on his haunches. Three, long gashes on each arm were apparent and bleeding profusely. The young boy stared down at the red liquid, not making any other movements.

Wendy and the rest of her family stared at the almost catatonic boy. But the girl was the first to break out of her shock and slowly move forward. Dread weighed heavy in her heart as she neared him, slowly placing a tentative hand on his shoulder, the boy didn’t even flinch at her touch, “Dip?” She whispered quietly to him. She hadn’t noticed the gashes yet.

The room was dim, the only light coming from the bedside lamp, but it was hardly enough for the older girl to see the boy’s hidden face, to see the crazed smile that he was giving. He remembered his dream, remembered what the mysterious stranger had said. He knew Bill had found him and he was sure the punishment was going to be great. And the deep gashes on his arms were a sign that if he didn’t return soon, it wasn’t going to be pretty.

“Wendy…I want to go back to the shack tomorrow,” He said after a while, his voice was low and devoid of any emotion. Wendy blinked in surprise, unsure of what to make of that.

“Dipper, are you-?” She was cut off by the other standing up suddenly. The boy didn’t turn to face her, he kept his back towards her, letting the darkness hide him. He nodded, slowly turning his head to face her and he gave her a small, apologetic smile.

“I’m ready to apologize,” He said, and if it was even possibly, the tiny last bit of hope that the young boy held so dearly died out in his eyes, making those once shining chocolate brown eyes appear even deader than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Srru Slqh Wuhh lv vwduwlqj wr fudfn, ohw'v mxvw krsh kh grhvq'w vqds!


	10. X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first step towards vice is to shroud innocent actions in mystery, and whoever likes to conceal something sooner or later has reason to conceal it.
> 
> \- Jean-Jacques Rousseau

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my...early update! So, I had to post this up now because I wasn't going to be able to meet the deadline by Friday, so enjoy this next slice of horror and I will update next Monday, woo-woo!! ((I'd prepare the empty buckets for your tears in advance))
> 
> ((P.s, sorry about the confusion in the last chapter, I've fixed that error and I appreciate ya guys for telling me!! Enjoy~!))

For Dipper, morning couldn’t have come soon enough. Since his nightmare and the incident, he hadn’t been able to fall asleep, again as usual. Mainly because he was stressing about over what Bill would do to him. He hadn’t seen the boy in almost three days, which means the punishment would be severe if not bad. His body had just about almost healed over and the ugly, dark bruises that covered him were mostly, if not, faded away. The claw marks and bites had also healed and in their place, pale scars, which were reminders of the demon’s power. The only thing that hadn’t completely healed, were the burns on his back. Those seemed to be in the process still and they hurt a lot, but nothing really major. The only real injuries he had to actually worry about though, were the fresh cuts he had received last night. The hardest part was bandaging them and hiding them without Wendy knowing he had them, which turned out an easy thing to do because Mabel had packed along a knitted sweater for him, a dark blue one that said ‘ _I’m One Piney Guy’_ , followed by a Pine Tree wearing dark sunglasses. It didn’t make any sense to him, but then again most of what his sister did didn’t make sense, so he shrugged it off as one of her weird jokes.

He grabbed his belongings and stuffed them into a plastic bag Wendy had given him. He was finally going back to the shack. But did he really want to? Of course he didn’t! But he knew he couldn’t burden Wendy anymore and he knew that Bill would just keep making things worse unless he returned. The tugging feeling was also another thing that had him going back. It was Bill’s way of calling to him, telling him that he had to return to him, _now_. It was a warning for him, and with each pull he ignored, the harsher things were going to be. He took one last longing look of his only safety before leaving his newfound safe haven. He walked down the empty hallway, his thoughts spinning with worries and fears as he walked to the living room.

Grunkle Stan was standing there, his back to him as he spoke with Wendy. Dipper stayed hidden for a moment, listening in on the words.

“Do you know what could’ve caused it?” His Grunkle asked. Wendy shook her head.

“I-I’m not sure…but he needs help, Mr. Pines. You need to talk to him, find out what’s wrong. He isn’t…himself anymore,” Wendy said, her voice sounding guilty, as though she was revealing a major secret she shouldn’t have been. Dipper took in a shuddering breath. The hurt in his friend and family’s tone made him ache. He wanted to tell them, wanted to release the heavy burden inside of him.

“I’m sorry…” he whispered quietly, as if those words could magically heal the wound he was creating. He was about to make himself known before another voice entered the scene.

“What do you mean by that, Wendy? What’s wrong with Dipper?” Mabel stared up at the two with a deep frown. The boy jerked and turned his head to peek around the wall. Sure enough, there in all her finest glory, was his sister, wearing a bright pink sweater and purple skirt. Her normally cheerful face seemed tired and restless. Her dark orbs held a look of determination as she tried to figure out the clues for her ill brother.

“I…I can’t say for sure,” Wendy said hesitantly, not wanting to set the younger off, “But, your brother needs all the comfort he can get. Try to cheer him up Mabel, you’re his sister, it’s up to you to get him to break free of whatever has him tied down,” The teen said, ruffling her hair softly. Mabel nodded, looking a bit down that she didn’t get a direct answer. That’s when Dipper decided to make himself known.

“Mabel? Stan?” He said, working up a joyful smile, which wasn’t hard, he really did miss them a lot. He dropped his bags and ran forward. Mabel’s eyes lit up and she opened her arms out for him as he ran to her. Dipper hugged her tightly, taking in her sweet scent of familiarity and comfort. Regardless of his efforts, tears slipped by as he squeezed her gently, “Mabel, I’m so sorry,” he whispered to her, his body shaking a little. Mabel rubbed soft circles against his back and smiled.

“It’s alright, bro-bro,” She murmured back to him, “I forgive you. Don’t worry about it.” Dipper smiled, a huge flood of relief washed over him and steadied his nerves. His sister’s words from his dreams disappeared and he was able to snap out of whatever glum feeling he had about facing her. Mabel had forgiven him, she had willing let go of the wrong doing he had done to her. With an elated smile, Dipper began to reluctantly pull away from her. He gave her one last broad grin before turning to his Grunkle. Dipper swallowed heavily and slowly approached him. There was no telling what the old man might do to him. Thoughts of dream Stan rolled around his head, making him even nervous of what his Grunkle would do. Was he mad? Furious? Would he hit him? Would he yell at him? Dipper felt his nerves returning with every step he took, and with one small release of air, he decided to speak.

“G-Grunkle Stan, I’m…I’m s-,”

But the boy wasn’t able to get another word out as Stan suddenly pulled him into a warm, tight embrace. He wrapped an arm around the boy’s still frame and placed his free one in his hair gently. The man trembled slightly as he took in a deep breath. He kissed Dipper’s head strongly, hugging him with as much emotion as he could show.

“Don’t ever run off like that again, you hear me? I was so worried and afraid…geez, kid, you give me one heck of a scare,” He said quietly to him, his voice shaking and trembling with each word he uttered. A lump formed in Dipper’s throat at the raw emotion of concern and love that filled his Grunkle’s voice. His eyes watered and he wrapped his arms around him, holding on to him and not wanting to let him go.

“I’m sorry, Grunkle Stan, I’m so sorry,” he sniveled, his small body wracking with blubbering sobs. Grunkle Stan lifted the boy up gently, holding him as Mabel took ahold of her brother’s bags. Dipper clung to the man he felt the safest with.

“It’s alright, Dipper, I’ve got you. No one’s gonna hurt you, I promise,” He whispered to the frightened child. And the boy believed him. He believed his Grunkle with all his might. The hope that he thought had fled him was back, but only for a short while. He knew that Stan would keep his promise, but at night, when everyone was asleep, he knew there would be no one for him.

**▻△▽◅**

The ride back to the shack was a tense one. Mabel talked rapidly about how much she had missed him and how there was an incident with this golden orange and white cat that wouldn’t leave the shack. Grunkle Stan would join every so often, but his eyes were trained on the road and the rearview mirror. He would glance at the quiet boy in the back, watching as the corners of his lips would slowly raise but then drop back down. Dipper hadn’t made any other noises of movements other than soft grunts and little, if barely there smiles.

Something familiar stirred in Stan, he had seen this before. Back in his day when he was on his own, he had come to know the many faces and eyes of people. He knew the look of silent torture, he knew the look of sheer terror. He had felt it and lived it. And that’s what he was seeing here. He was seeing the face of someone close to him shining right through his great nephew. The boy was troubled, scared, and possibly in danger. But from what, Stan had no idea, even back then he didn’t know. But one thing he knew was that Dipper could be sneaky and secretive when he had to, and once he was, it was very hard to get him out of the shell and into the open.

His eyes moved towards Mabel, the young girl was still talking adamantly about how much she was going to be a better sibling and make things right. Stan knew that she would too, the young girl would’ve done just about anything for her brother, unlike…he shook those memories away, turning down the road that led to the Mystery Shack. His mind briefly took him to the journal Mabel had showed him. She had explained to him about how Dipper had discovered it and said that it possibly had something to do with his sudden shift of character. If Stan hadn’t held two others just like it, he would’ve told her it was just a bunch of made up crap. But instead of doing that, he took it and leafed through it, knowing that he had to find out more, learn the truth from the boy himself.

Parking the car, he turned it off and worked up a smile, “Alrighty, let’s go freshen up and then we can head over to Greasy’s Diner for pancakes!” Stan said, glancing at Dipper. The boy’s mood seemed to have lightened up and he looked relieved.

“Really?” Dipper asked hopefully. Less time at the shack meant more time away from Bill. The young boy grinned and hopped out of the car at Stan’s nod. He grabbed his things and followed him inside the house. Stan stayed near Dipper, the boy seemed to want it that way. He stopped at the attic door and watched the younger’s reactions. Dipper was tense and the smile he held slipped a little. He reached slowly for the knob, twisting it and pushing the door open. The attic room was empty of anything evil. Dipper let out a small puff of air and entered, dumping his stuff at the foot of the bed before turning to him quickly.

“Dipper, can I ask you something?” Stan asked slowly. The boy nodded, but did nothing else. There seemed to be a nervous look on his great nephew’s face, almost like he was expected something bad to suddenly happen. Stan walked forward, reaching behind Dipper and noticing how he tensed up a bit as he went to grab the journal lying on his bed, “Do you know what this is?” he asked.

Dipper looked to the journal and felt this heart stop momentarily. There, in Stan’s hands was the journal. The black number three glared down at him from the man’s hand and he forced a nod, “Y-yeah…I found that,” he said, his voice no higher than a whisper. Stan knelt down in front of him, looking into his eyes.

“Where?” He asked. Dipper fidgeted with his fingers and he looked away. Stan bit his lip, “I’m not mad you, Dipper, I just need to know where you found it.” The boy inhaled deeply, as though he was trying to calm himself down.

“I-I f-found it in the w-woods,” He stuttered, this time he was shifting on his feet, and the concern in Stan grew a bit more.

“Dipper, calm down. I’m not gonna hurt you, and there’s no one else who’s gonna hurt you,” He said, placing a hand on Dipper’s shoulder. The boy nodded, but there was a knowing look in his eyes. It was as though he was doubting him, as though he knew something that he didn’t. Stan stared at him, trying to decipher what that weird look in his eyes was.

“G-Grunkle Stan…c-can you please…p-please remove your…h-hand,” The boy choked out. Stan snapped out of his thoughts and he paled. Dipper’s whole frame was shaking, the boy looked as though he had experienced his greatest fear. The man immediately withdrew his hand and watched as the boy visibly relaxed from his tense stance. He stood up and gave his nephew one last hug.

“C’mon, let’s go get some pancakes,” He said, hoping to ease the poor boy. Dipper nodded and furrowed his face against the man’s side, his arms wrapping around him as he held on to him. Stan couldn’t help but find the scene familiar and a sense of déjà vu hit him, _hard_.

_Looks like history really does repeat itself, huh, Sixer?_ The old man thought with a silent sigh. He gave a soft, yet firm squeeze to the boy as he guided him out the door, _but I won’t let him go this time_.

**▻△▽◅**

“Damn it all!” Bill growled as he shot a flame of blue towards a tree. He was back to his triangle form, the true form he preferred out of the awful meat sack he took shape of. But, it was all going to be worth it! Oh, yes! He could practically taste his victory right about now. The boy was finally breaking, finally cracking! His will was growing weaker with each day and he knew it was only a matter of time before things started going out of hand.

And hell, they were. But in a different direction than the demon had imagined. He shot another flame of blue that finished the tree off and made it explode right before him.

“Damn that kid! Damn them all!” He seethed, holding both his arms out and shooting at a different tree, “Pine Tree had one job! One _simple_ job! All that brat had to do was keep everything under the radar! And what does that rotten flesh sack do?” He hissed, his body turned a deep crimson red as he shot at another tree, this time taking it down in one go, “He runs away to Red and stirs up trouble!” He panted heavily, his anger taking control of him.

Bill fired another flame at a tree, but this time, there was a small nest on it, with four small baby birds that tweeted loudly as the tree began to be consumed by his fire. He paused, his eye trained on a bigger bird that was quickly flying towards the scene. The momma bird, he presumed, as it flew towards the nest and began crying out to them as the fire grew. Bill watched with satisfaction as the bird flew around the branch, trying to find a way to save her family. He found the scene kind of ironic. It was like Dipper, trying to save his own family but finding no way to reach them. With one last strong blast of fire, the tree was consumed entirely and the loud crying of the baby birds stopped. The mother bird continued to chirp on, pausing every so often to listen out for them, but only the crackling of the fire responded back to her. Bill floated forwards, ceasing the crying bird in his grasp. The bird flailed and pecked, trying to break free, but the demon merely laughed at its failed attempts.

“Y’know, I think Pine Tree would enjoy having a little reminder of who’s top dog around here. He’s getting pretty sloppy with keeping this whole affair under wraps, it’s only fair that we help motivate him to do better,” The demon cackled, the noise flooding the whole forest and alerting some of the other creatures that dwelled within it.

The bird remained motionless, trembling in the demon’s clutches before letting out a loud screech as blue flames traveled down Bill’s arm and licked along the bird’s flesh. The demon only cackled loudly and watched with malicious glee as the bird’s body was consumed by the flames and burned alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20-8-5 13-25-19-20-5-18-25 13-1-14 13-1-25 2-5 1 6-1-11-5, 2-21-20 8-9-19 16-1-19-20 18-5-1-12-12-25 20-1-11-5-19 20-8-5 3-1-11-5. 1 19-8-1-13-5 8-5 3-1-13-5 1-18-15-21-14-4 20-15-15 12-1-20-5, 2-21-20 23-9-12-12 8-5 12-5-1-18-14 6-18-15-13 8-9-19 13-9-19-20-1-11-5?


	11. XI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's always one door that you forget to lock. And I will be waiting...  
> There's always one street that you know you shouldn't walk. And I will be waiting...  
> Your loved ones may sit upon your stone to prevent me. But I will be waiting...  
> I will be waiting...  
> Anticipating...  
> I am a Scavenger…
> 
> \- Emily Autumn, Scavenger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPISE!!!! Now, I know I was supposed to see you guys on Monday, but, my brother got sick so we weren't able to go where we were supposed on our vacation, and with plenty of time to spare, I managed to write two whole new chapters! So here's one and the next will be on Monday!
> 
> Trigger Warnings applied-Readers Beware!

You can never know the true joy of being surrounded by the people who love you the most, until they’ve been snatched away from you. Or in Dipper’s case, you spend about three days away from them because you did something that should’ve been considered unforgivable, but wasn’t. Regardless though, the pure happiness that flooded through the young boy was something he had never experienced before and it made him feel like he was at the top of the world. He felt right for once, being here at Greasy’s Diner, laughing along with Mabel and Grunkle Stan while eating pancakes. It was a moment that he wanted to last forever. But with a glance out the window, he knew it wouldn’t. It was mid-afternoon, and even though he had plenty of time to enjoy the day and his family, the looming darkness and fear that was with him, hung over his body like a dark cloud. But he tried his best to stave off the feeling and focus on the family bonding moment that was currently happened.

“So the cat jumped on top of Soos’ head, right?” Mabel grinned, talking between bites of pancakes, “And then he started freaking out because it was purring and rubbing its face on him, and Grunkle Stan was trying to swat it off with a broom, but ended up hitting Soos’ head with it!” They all bursted out laughing, Mabel especially and she had to stop for a moment because she ended coughing a bit from the pancake still in her mouth. Dipper smiled fondly at his sister as he picked at the two freshly baked ones in front of him. Lazy Susan had personally added a smiley face; strawberries for eyes and a bacon strip for a mouth. Stan was the only one who noticed that after two bites of it, Dipper never touched it again.

“Ack! Talk about dying of laughter,” Mabel snickered, “Phew! This girl needs to clean her hands, Grunkle Stan, Dipper, I’ll be right back!” She said before skipping off towards the lady’s room. Stan watched her to make sure she made it safely before standing up himself. Dipper looked up worriedly and the man gave a smile.

“Relax, kid, I’m just gonna go order another cherry pie for me. I’ll back soon, okay?” He said, ruffling Dipper’s hair beneath his hat. The boy leaned back in his seat as he watched the old man leave. He kicked his feet underneath the table back and forth, while he busied himself with playing with his food.

“Y’know, it’s not very manner-like to play around with your food.”

Dipper paused at the voice, he hadn’t expected anyone to talk to him. He felt rather irritable that someone besides his parents or Stan would say something like that, “Gee thanks for the info, I’ll be sure to file it down for later,” He said sarcastically. The person chuckled, a low deep one that came from the back of his throat.

“Ooh, such fighting words from someone as weak and scrawny as you,” The voice sneered. Dipper growled and turned around to face the person. However, the face he wasn’t expecting was the very face of his tormentor by night. Bill. The boy jerked back away from the man and ended up knocking down some of the plates. Everyone in the diner stopped, staring at the scared child as he yelled at the man.

“S-stay back! M-my Grunkle’s gonna kick your b-butt!” The boy threatened, or attempted to. Bill cackled and slinked out of the both, leaning down on his black cane.

“Oh? Is that _so?_ ” The demon derided, his facial expression turning into one of mock fear, “Oh _please no_ , Pine Tree! Not your _Grunkle!_ ” Bill feigned in a pleading tone before it turned into a jeering laughter. Dipper gripped his throat out of nervousness and he began breathing heavily.

“S-stop! Stop! _Stop!_ ” He yelled, covering his ears to block out the sound of his laugh, “Just shut up and go away! He’ll kick your ass! You’ll see! You just wait!” The boy shouted, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Dipper? Who are you talking to?”

Stan’s voice seared right through his brain and he froze. Every fiber in his entire being stopped and his heart clenched tightly. He slowly pulled his hands away from his ears and he cracked his eyes open. He looked up, his eyes connecting with each and everyone’s in the restaurant until they finally fell upon Stan’s and Mabel’s. Their faces were both in shock as they stared at him as though he had snapped, but both their eyes held worry and concern.

“I-I was…d-don’t you see him?” He asked, standing up. Mabel pressed her lips together, letting out a soft sigh.

“See who, bro-bro?” She asked finally. And his heart sank. He felt Bill press close behind him.

“Poor, poor, Pine Tree, kinda hurts to be the only one able so seem me, doesn’t it?” Bill cackled, his breath sending chills down the boy’s back. Dipper’s bottom lip quivered and he ran to Stan, hugging the man tightly. He felt Bill press a claw-like hand against his back and he whimpered.

“Grunkle Stan…keep him away…please,” He begged silently, sniffling and sobbing softly. Mabel pressed close and Stan felt at a loss.

He tried to look and see what Dipper was seeing, but he couldn’t. There was nothing but people watching. He felt his mind bring back a memory from long ago, the same exact scene from with a different person.

“ _Stan…make him go away…please…_ ”

Sucking in a deep breath, Stan trained his eyes forward, hardening them and keeping his voice low and firm, “Get the hell away from my nephew,” he hissed, not making the same mistake he had made years ago.

Unbeknownst to him, his eyes had latched onto Bill’s and because of that, the demon felt a small twinge of fear in him. He looked down at Dipper and scowled.

“Don’t think this is over, Pine Tree. You’ll get your punishment tonight, when _no one_ is around to save you.”

The words left their fearful mark on the boy and he all but relaxed when he felt Bill’s presence. He felt Stan let out a small sigh before he lifted him up into his arms, “Let’s head on home.” The man said, holding the trembling child. Mabel swallowed, following Stan out the diner. She entered the car and buckled up, staring behind and out the window towards the restaurant.

She had no idea who Dipper was looking at or what her brother saw, but whatever it was, she was sure that it was a step closer for her to figure out his secret. And as she was about to turn her head, she could’ve sworn she saw a man with blonde hair, staring directly at her brother. His eyes then turned and flickered to her and Grunkle Stan. He had a deep scowl on his face and the look he held was nothing short of murderous. Mabel was sure she had seen what Dipper had saw.

And as they all drove off towards the Mystery Shack, the man’s hauntingly golden eyes were the only thing that struck fear into her heart.

**▻△▽◅**

That night, Dipper climbed into his bed with fear. His hands were shaking and his whole body was writhing with fear. His stomach twisted and churned, and he was sure at any moment he might throw up. It seemed that fear these days was the only thing his mind could register. It was hard to think of anything else. His teeth chittered quite loudly, but it wasn’t from the cold, it was from the massive chills that kept wracking his spine. He pulled back the covers and did his best to snuggle beneath them. He shuddered, closing his eyes before he heard the sound of the door.

Mabel glanced at Dipper worriedly, she gave him a smile, reassuring him that everything was alright, but he knew it wasn’t. Yet, he felt his lips tug upwards and he returned it, but it was very strained. He turned over on his side and stared at the wall. He heard his sister sigh softly. Mabel turned away from him and felt her own tears returning, the look in her brother’s eyes was not a pretty one. It was if he was expecting death to come tonight. With another glance at her brother, she could tell he had gone to sleep from the way his body was moving up and down very slowly. Sniffling, she turned off the lights before leaving the room, closing the door quietly.

She sank down to the floor and pulled her knees close to her. She remained motionless for a while before one by one, the tears began to fall. Her lip quivered and her vision became heavily blurred. Her breathing had become heavy and she bit her lip as her body was overcome with sobs. She covered her mouth, muffling the noises as she let out her grief, unaware of just what was happening to Dipper…

The boy cried out as he thrown towards the wall, his back hitting it harshly before he fell to the floor on his stomach. He groaned, gasping for breath as he weakly got on his hands and knees, “S-stop…please…” he begged, looking up at the scowling demon.

“Stop? You want me to stop?” The being sneered darkly, “Oh, no, no, no, Pine Tree,” He grinned madly, “I can’t stop. If I stop, then who’ll teach you the lesson?” He cackled, he raised a gloved hand and as he did so, Dipper’s body rose up as well. The boy gasped and writhed against the invisible hold, “You’ve been careless, Dipper,” Bill growled, his eyes glowing a dark crimson red, “You’ve been leaving behind trails, guiding people to the truth,” He hissed. Dipper shook his head frantically.

“I-I h-haven’t! I-I-I swear-!” He choked, feeling his throat constricting. Bill was choking him! He grasped at invisible hands, feeling the oxygen being derived from his brain. Bill ran a hand through his hair, dropping his hand and the boy carelessly. He could hear Dipper coughing and gasping for breath as he did so and he frowned, “B-Bill, I haven’t been guiding anyone,” The boy rasped, his voice cracking. The demon flinched in annoyance and turned back to him, flying forwards at lightning speed and picking the boy up by his neck once more.

“Oh you haven’t? Really?” He scoffed, “Then tell me why the hell Shooting Star is investigating, Red is asking questions, and that stupid Grunkle of yours is starting to remember things?!” He roared, shoving Dipper against the wall before tossing him to the other-side of the room. The boy cried out, having heard something snap and a hot, sharp pain filled his arm. A bright blinding light filled his vision and he cried out, holding onto his throbbing arm.

“I…that wasn’t my…it wasn’t my intention…I’m sorry,” he whimpered, “I’m sorry, Bill, please…” He sniffled, weakly sitting up. The apology seemed to further anger the demon and he growled. His fists clenched tightly and his whole body turned red. Dipper could practically feel his power pulsating off of him. He gulped, backing away from the demon, who in turn, kept walking forward, making things fly off the shelves and spin around the room like there was a tornado.

“Oh, you’ll be sorry, Pine Tree,” The demon grinned wickedly, his voice dangerously low, “I’ll show you how sorry you’ll be,” He reached out and pulled the boy to him by his powers. Dipper yelped and tried to grab onto something, but before he could he was in Bill’s clutches, “I’ve been soft on you, Pine Tree,” Bill gleamed, throwing the boy to the ground. Dipper yelped at the pain in his arm and he struggled to scoot away, but the demon yanked him back by his ankles, “Way too soft, so how about I up the ante?” He cackled.

Two things happened to Dipper in that moment, one was that any coherent thought he might’ve had disappeared the moment his pants and underwear was ripped off. The second was that he realized that this situation was _way_ worse than any other one he had experienced. Everything about it was screaming _run away_ or _get away_! And that’s what he tried to do, but Bill seemed to be fed up with it today.

“Now, now, Pine Tree, why not try to _stick_ around this time?” Bill cackled. Suddenly Dipper’s arms were pulled down to the ground, along with his legs. He tried to pull them back up, but he found that he was indeed… _stuck_ to the ground! He panicked, his back arching against the invisible restraints.

“B-Bill…no… _please!_ No!” He cried out, watching as the demon removed his own pants. Tears slipped down his eyes and the demon grabbed the boy’s chin roughly, holding his face so that the boy was forced to look at him. His long tongue darted out and stretched to lick up at the young child’s salty tears. Dipper squeezed his eyes shut and cringed, trying to ignore the slimy organ on his face. Then he felt a mouth press against his own and his eyes snapped open as he tried to push against the demon. Bill grinned as he finally let go of his mouth, admiring the swollen lips. Dipper panted and swallowed as he stared up at him through tearful eyes. The demon cackled lowly and Dipper heard the sound of fabric ripping.

“Listen well, Pine Tree because I’m only going to say this once,” Bill whispered, his eyes narrowed at his dangerously, “No matter where you go, no matter what you do, _I_ will always be there. You are _mine_ to keep and do with what I want. There’s no escape from me. No one can save you. Not your sister, not your Grunkle, and not even your friends. I’ll fill every crevice of your mind. I’ll be in every waking nightmare and memory. I’ll be the one who keeps you awake, who makes you wish that you were dead. I’ll drive you all the way to the brink of insanity until the only thing you’ll remember when you’re on your death bed is my name, my laugh, and my voice. _There_ is **_no escape_** _!_ ”

And then there was pain. Excruciating pain that felt as though his skin was being torn apart. Something big and thick was entering him and he screamed. A pure scream of heart-wrenching agony. Bill laughed thunderously as he continued to push inside Dipper, filling him and driving out all the painful screams of terror from him. The boy’s nails dug into the floorboards and he hardly noticed the pain when they bent back. He squirmed and writhed and flailed around as best as he could to get away from the pain in his lower torso. Bill’s nails dragged themselves down across his sides and chest, leaving behind thin rivers of blood in their wake. The boy cried and sobbed and twitched as Bill began to thrust into him with an inhuman strength, making his back scrape across the floors.

“Bill… _stop…_ ” He begged, his back arching of its own accord as a sudden jumble of something inside of him was pressed, making him let out a cry as it sent waves of what should’ve been pleasure coursing through him.

“You don’t mean that, do you Pine Tree?” The demon sneered, “You’ve never meant that. At least, your body hasn’t,” The demon cackled. And it was true. It was already a month since everything had transpired, and his body had learned to react to the demon’s touches. It had learned to react, while his mind and his soul had learned to fear his very name. Then, when all was said and done, he came with a horror-filled cry and fell into a black world with nothing but the echo of Bill’s sharp teeth and laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vwdqv eurwkhu xqorfnhg wkh jdwh dqg wkhq d ghprq vhdohg klv idwh. Qrz bhduv odwhu, diwhu wdnlqj wkh edlw, khv irxqg d vrxo iru klv kxqjhu wr vdwh.


	12. XII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do nothing secretly; for Time sees and hears all things, and discloses all.
> 
> – Sophocles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Da-dada-da! I have fulfilled my promise and delivered a new chapter!!! Thank you guys for all the comments and likes! I'm so happy to know that many of you all are loving this story as much as I am writing it!!
> 
> Aah, there are so many secrets being kept! Can you believe we're only two chapters away from the big-bang one! I know, I know, I've said that about almost every chapter. But just wait until we get to the chapter where Dipper goes-er, never mind!
> 
> Enjoy my lovelies~!!

Morning settled upon the Mystery Shack with a bright feeling, yet inside, it was anything but. Darkness filled the once homey house and the family inside of it was suffering badly, especially the little boy.

Stan sat at the kitchen table, it was rather early for him to be up, but he couldn’t sleep. Something was wrong and he had no idea how to make it better. He ran a hand down his face, sighing in despair as he laid his head down on the table’s surface, “Oh, Dipper…” He sighed, feeling for the first time in a long time tears sliding down his face. _What do I do Pointdexter? How do I help him?_

There was only ever one time Stan had ever come to face a situation such as this, and that was over more than thirty years ago. Back then, he had no idea what was going on, and still today, he had no clue. And because of his confusion, he had lost the one person in his life who understood him more than anyone else. He lost his twin brother.

“It’s happening again, isn’t it Ford?” he choked, his throat tight, “It’s happening to our great nephew this time, isn’t it? _Isn’t_ it?” He cried, shutting his eyes. He bit his lip hard before sucking in a deep breath and letting it go slowly, “How do I stop it? Am I too late? Will I lose him too?” He sniffled, wiping away at his eyes. Stan stood up slowly and walked to the fridge, it was only six something, but he felt restless. Something wasn’t right. The first sign should’ve been when the shower went on. He paused a moment, looking up and frowning. No one had ever gotten up this early, but then it struck him that Mabel had been waking up early to do some reading or something like that, so he shrugged it off. The second sign was the sound of voices, Mabel’s and Dipper’s. He stopped to listen this time, staying as quiet as possible to hear.

**▻△▽◅**

When Dipper woke up, his body was on fire. His butt hurt and his chest felt like someone had been sitting on and crushing his lungs. He sat up quickly, hissing at the stabbing pain he felt on his bottom. He gripped the bed sheets tightly and pressed his top and bottom lips together tightly. He didn’t know how to feel, or rather what to do. His mind was numb and devoid of any rational thought and he felt…lifeless. Would it be better to just lay back down in bed? No, he felt dirty. Dirty, dirty, dirty. He needed a shower, a bath. Yeah…a bath. He got up slowly, not making a peep as his body moved on its own accord. He passed Mabel’s bed, unaware that the girl had been watching him with a fearful gaze. He left the room, leaving his sister in a curious state. She sat up in bed, trying to figure out what was going on. Mabel had been awake for quite some time, watching her brother as he slept. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully enough, he hadn’t moved or stirred in his slumber, in fact, he was so still that she had to get up a few times to make sure he was still breathing. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed, her mind wouldn’t let her sleep as it kept making up dreams with the golden eyed man from the other day. She rubbed her temples, breathing in deeply before pausing as the door opened again. Dipper returned, but this time with tears sliding down his face. Immediately her sisterly instincts kicked in.

“Uh, Dip, you ok?” Mabel asked nervously, deciding to start off slowly. But the boy didn’t respond, he kept moving as though he was in a daze. Mabel pushed back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed, “Dipper? You okay, bro?” She repeated, a little louder this time, but keeping the softness in her voice. This time, he stopped in his tracks. He met her gaze and she couldn’t help but gasp. Dipper looked like a walking corpse. The dead look in his eyes made her blood run cold and she slowly stood up. Dipper stood rigid as he tried to figure out what to say. What was he supposed to say? He opened his mouth to speak, wishing he could say what he wanted to say; _Mabel help me please! I’m being tormented and abused by a sick psycho we know as Bill Cipher!_ But only silence and incoherent words came out. It was only when Mabel was about to speak again that he finally found his voice.

“H-huh? N-no…I-I mean y-yes…I-I’m f-fine,” He stuttered, shaking his head and taking a few steps forward towards the dresser that held his clothes, “I’m fine…” He whispered to himself. Mabel watched, unsure of what to make of the situation at hand.

“Are you taking a shower?” She asked, with a small smile, her brother nodded, pulling out a pair of fresh clothes, “This early in the morning, Dipping dot? Wouldn’t you want to get more sleep?” She pried, being careful not to anger or alert him. Dipper fidgeted with his fingers nervously, he was screwing up again! _She’s getting too nosy…I need to get her off my back_! He exhaled slowly before facing her.

“N-no, I’m not tired,” A lie, but there was no way in hell he was going to sleep. Not after what Bill did to him. Not after…he closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath, beginning to make his way past her, but Mabel had already walked to her brother and wrapped her arms around his slightly trembling frame.

“Dipper!” Mabel frowned, “You’re shaking!” He mentally cursed at how stupid he was being. He couldn’t let his sister know something was up, what would she think? She’d be disgusted, horrified at what was happening to him. He didn’t want to go through the drama…not now.

“I’m just cold,” He said stiffly. He wanted to lean into her warm embrace, he wanted to cling to her and cry, _well, why don’t you_? His mind questioned. He knew he shouldn’t, he knew it would only break him. But boy was it tempting. Suddenly, without warning or probably even meaning to, his leaned in towards his sister, and he hugged her, taking her by surprise in the process. He was shaking, he knew. But not because of the cold, it was because he was crying.

“Dipper, what’s wrong?” She asked. He yearned to tell her, longed to be free from this twisted game of silence and pain. His thoughts were spinning around, arguing over telling her or not. **_Tell a soul and you’re dead, kid, along with your love ones_. ** Bill’s voice entered his mind and he tensed. He pushed himself away from his sister, leaving the warm embrace and entering the cold darkness once more. His sister looked at him with concern.

“I-I’m fine, Mabel. Really,” He said, straining a smile. But his sister didn’t seem convinced, especially not when he was just crying a second ago. She walked over and brought him back into her arms. She held him there, trying to beckon him to come back out from his protective shell.

“Come on Dipper, let’s go back to sleep,” She whispered to him, gently leading him to her side of the room. The young boy’s mind went blank and he allowed Mabel to guide him to who knows where. He felt himself being sat down and then he realized it, she was going to get him to sleep. He blinked and tried his best to not look scared out of his mind.

“M-Mabel…I’m n-not tired…” He said, trying to make his voice sound irritable as he stood to pick up the clothes he had dropped, not seeing the small frown on his sister’s face.

“C’mon on Dip, just for a little longer. You need the rest, why not come sleep in my bed with me?” Mabel worked up smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. He let out a small shaky breath, stopping in his tracks. Could he…? Would it be wrong? It could help to get her off his case… Shaking off any foreboding feelings, he gingerly walked over to Mabel’s bed and climbed over her to the empty space against the wall. He laid down cautiously, maybe having her with him will help him get some sleep, like at Wendy’s. Mabel shuffled and got up to quickly turn off the shower before returning shortly after and climbing into the bed. She was just about to turn off the lantern’s light, but before she could, Dipper spoke up.

“ _Don’t_!” He quickly said before she had the chance to turn off the small lantern, its soft dim glow gave a little comfort to him. She looked at him with a questioning gaze, “It…it makes me feel better…” He murmured. She didn’t question it, though she wanted to, instead she laid back down on the pillow and sighed, opting to wait until he was ready to open up and tell her. But until then, she was going to be there for him no matter what. He felt her ease under the covers and snuggle closely. He suddenly tensed as she wrapped her arms around him in an attempt to hug him, “M-Mabel…please let go…” He whispered.

“Why?” She asked, this was definitely suspicious. Dipper never neglected her hugs.

“P-please…” He was on the brink of tears.

_Cold arms wrapped around him, fingers sliding up and down his sides. He could feel him pressing against his back, his breath ghosting across his neck, making him shudder with fear and disgust._

_“Don’t worry, my pet, this’ll be quick.”_

_He whimpered when he felt the demon’s hand trail down his stomach towards his intimate parts, the parts that_ no one _had the right to touch. He squeezed his eyes tightly, feeling his muscles clench in disgust as he tried to convince himself that it would be over soon. It’ll be over soon! It’ll be over soon! He repeated over and over as he felt cold fingers wrap around him..._

Dipper suddenly gasped and shoved his sister away roughly, not thinking clearly at the moment. The girl yelped in surprise as she suddenly fell off the bed. She rubbed her sore head, “Ouch Dipper, what the heck-,” her thoughts ended when she saw him. He was shaking terribly, tears leaking out of his eyes like two waterfalls. He looked afraid, downright _terrified_ of _her_. She stood up and reached out to him. He flinched and leaned away from her touch. She felt her heart break at the sudden movement, how could he be scared of her? What was wrong?

“Broseph?” She called softly. He didn’t speak or utter a word. He just stared with those dead, fearful eyes, “Dipper?” she reached towards him again, this time lightly touching his cheek. He screeched and snarled at her.

“Get _away_!”

She stepped back from him, shocked at his sudden defensive tone. Where had her brother gone? “Dipper? Dipper it’s me Mabel,” She said, her voice trembling. Tears appeared at the corners of her eyes and she felt scared for him. She called out to him again, softer this time and more gently as she hoped desperately to coax him back to reality. He was sobbing now, shaking with fear. She neared him once more glad that he didn’t do anything when she did, “Shh, it’s ok Dipper, it’s me, your sister, Mabel.”

It took a long while, but he finally came back to her. He finally _looked_ at her, his brown eyes losing their vacant, lifeless stare and becoming wide with fear, “Mabel?” He whispered. She nodded and sat down a few feet away from him on the bed.

“Yes, it’s me Dipper,” She continued to coo softly. He sniffled, feeling a fresh new batch of tears blurring his vision.

“I-I’m sorry,” He whispered to her brokenly. She scooted closer, opening her arms to let him in. He gladly accepted and held onto her tightly, “I’m _so sorry!_ ” Mabel’s heart broke, the sorrowful and pain-filled tone had her on the edge of crying with him.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked. She felt him shake his head, _no_ , he didn’t want too, plus he didn’t really have a choice now did he? But his sister didn’t know that. So she comforted him to her best abilities. Not really knowing what he was going through him as she just continued to hold him close to her. He was tense at first but he was gradually able to calm his nerves and ease his mind. He was still trembling but not as much and his hands were gripping onto her night gown, onto _her_ , as though she were his lifeline. He was afraid that she would suddenly disappear from him if he even loosened his grip a little. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he knew that sun was starting to peek through the window a bit more. He could feel Mabel’s head slowly drooping, she was about to fall asleep. And so was he.

“Mabel?” He said, his voice raspy. His sister responded with a small tired grunt, “Can I lay down?” He asked. She sprung to life in an instant.

“Oh yeah! Sorry, I forgot we were sitting,” She said. He forced a chuckle. Maybe if he pretended to be happy, he could trick himself into it? He felt her shift and his head met the pillow gently, filling his nostrils with the sweet strawberry and gingerbread scent his sister seemed to carry with her. It was the scent of comfort, the scent of safety. Everything felt alright for once to him, and he was able to relax a bit more than normal. He felt her curl up next to him, cradling him like their mother used to do when they were scared. He felt his muscles relax, this was…nice. Not at all like the rough and self-centered Bill. And he let himself forget the events of last night, if only to ease him a little to get some shut eye.

“Mabel?” He said, his voice ending the deep silence within the dim room.

“Yeah?” Came the soft reply.

“I love you,” He murmured. His sister squeezed him gently.

“Love ya too bro-bro,” She whispered to him. He sighed contently before snuggling under the covers. But he was afraid to fall asleep, he was afraid of the actions that might repeat themselves or the nightmares that were waiting to greet him. He gulped and looked up at his sister, she was half asleep.

“Mabel?”

“Yes Dipper?” It was clear she was already falling asleep. He mentally berated himself for being so annoying, but he needed some sort of comfort, something to take his mind away from Bill, away from the pain, away from the _fear_. He needed the rest, he hadn’t slept in what felt like ages, and when he did, it was always with nightmares and that caused him to make it a goal to stay awake. But right now, he knew he was gonna pass out if he didn’t close his eyes sooner or later, and it was at that moment in time that Dipper was suddenly struck with an idea. He opened his eyes and looked at his sister, whose eyes in turn were closed. _She’s asleep…_ he thought to himself before leaning to burrow his face against her chest like a young child.

“Mabel…I’m sorry…for everything,” he said, before slowly closing his eyes and sighing. Mabel opened her eyes a little and she stared at her brother. Dipper was so much different from when they first arrived here at Gravity Falls. With the exception of last night, she couldn’t remember the last time he had ever slept without scrunching up his face or tossing and turning, or even crying. She reached out and delicately touched his face, he felt so cold. His skin was so pale and there were dark bags under his eyes. She burrowed herself into her pillow and hugged her twin closer, feeling tears prickle at her eyes. There were a few rare times in which Mabel cried, most of them were when she was in deep despair, heavily confused, or hurt. But this wasn’t like those times. Mabel was crying because she felt as though she was losing her brother. Her greatest fear was coming to surface and she couldn’t do anything to help stop it. Dipper was becoming lost and she feared that if she didn’t hurry and follow, he would be disappear from her sights.

Permanently.

**▻△▽◅**

Downstairs, Stan sat on the bottom stair and sighed. He hadn’t heard much of what happened, but the feeling of dread in his gut stayed with him. Something bad was coming their way, and he wondered if he had any chance to stop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 0100100001101001011100110111010001101111011100100111100100100000011101110110100101101100011011000010000001110010011001010111000001100101011000010111010000100000011000010110111001100100001000000111010001101000011001010010000001110000011011110110111101110010001000000101000001101001011011100110010101110011001000000110011001100001011011010110100101101100011110010010000001110111011010010110110001101100001000000111010001100001011100110111010001100101001000000110010001100101011001100110010101100001011101000010111000100000010000110110000101110101011100110110100101101110011001110010000001100100011010010111001101110010011101010111000001110100011010010110111101101110001000000110100101110011001000000111011001100101011100100111100100100000011001100111010101101110001011000010000001101110011011110111011100100000011100110110100101110100001000000110001001100001011000110110101100100000011000010110111001100100001000000111001001100101011011000110000101111000001000000110001001100101011000110110000101110101011100110110010100100000011101000110100001100101001000000111001001100101011000010110110000100000011100110110100001101111011101110001100101110011001000000110101001110101011100110111010000100000011000100110010101100111011101010110111000101110...
> 
> In the next chapter- What's Bill's purpose behind this whole thing? And is Wendy on to something with her new findings? 
> 
> Find out this coming Thursday!
> 
> Also, be sure to check out the poster for my next story that I'll be releasing soon:
> 
> http://ella-chane.tumblr.com/post/135953779079/the-great-cipher-ella-chane-you-cant-relive-a


	13. XIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You learned to run from what you feel, and that's why you have nightmares. To deny is to invite madness. To accept is to control.”
> 
> ― Megan Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year's Eve!! Woooo!
> 
> Here's the new chapter I promised ya guys!! Thank you for the comments and support! You have no idea how much it enlightens me to know that you guys are enjoying this! Thank you so much and I LOVE YOU ALL!!
> 
> Enjoy you guys!!

“I’ve searched the whole book a thousand times! I’ve scoured the woods for any clues, but still…nothing seems to be working!” Mabel cried, banging her head down on the wooden counter beside Wendy, “I can’t seem to find the missing clue I’m looking for!”

The shack was full today with customers being led on a tour with Stan and looking through the gift shop. Dipper had chosen the day to stay in bed, claiming he was sick. And Stan let him, his eyes softening when he laid eyes on the poor child. Dipper _did_ in fact look sick, the poor child could barely even sit up properly without crying out in pain. The poor man thought that the boy was catching someone form of bone illness or maybe even a blood disease. The notion worried Mabel and made her start thinking of all the bad possibilities. Maybe this wasn’t supernatural, maybe Dipper had gotten some fatal disease that was slowly killing him? She sighed and looked up from the confines of her arms as she felt Wendy place a hand on her shoulder. The teen gave her a reassuring look before she scanned the room quickly.

“I’ve been doing some reading too, Mabel…and I think I’ve got something,” The red-head said. Mabel’s eyes filled with hope and she sat up a little, “This has been going on for what…about a month already?” Wendy asked, at the young girl’s nod, she sighed, “Well, to be honest Mabel, I think…Dipper has PTSD,” She said with a quick exhale of breath. Mabel blinked, the look in her eyes diminishing as she slunk down in her chair.

“PTSD…” She drawled out slowly, her voice soft and low, “…h-how…?” She had heard of that before, but she wasn’t well acquainted with it, and knowing that her brother might have it, struck a new cord in her. Wendy swallowed.

“I don’t know…but it makes sense,” She said. Wendy reached down and pulled out her cellphone, opening up a page, “Here, look,” She offered, handing it over to the young girl. Mabel took the phone with trembling hands and prepared herself for the truth. She scrolled down, her eyes staring intently at the glowing screen.

“PTSD, or Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs when you or someone you love have been exposed to a traumatic experience,” Mabel read out loud, she swallowed and looked at Wendy, “I-it doesn’t make sense…we haven’t experienced anything traumatizing,” She paused, the rabbit experience was pretty scary, could that be it? But how come it was only affecting Dipper then? Sure she had felt frightened to leave the house for about two days, but she was fine afterwards, and so was Dipper.

“Who knows, Mabel? Maybe Dipper went out on his own and witnessed something?” Wendy asked with a shrug, “It would explain why he’s been…off. He barely sleeps, eats, and doesn’t let anyone in. He isolates himself a lot, and he’s shown plenty of signs of nervousness and anxiety attacks,” She frowned.

The twelve year old continued to scroll through the list of the symptoms. _Anger, guilt, hostility, sleep deprivation…oh Dipper, what happened?_ She put the phone down and felt her bottom lip quiver. What Wendy had said did make something click in her. Dipper had gone out by himself and she remembered how terrified he had been when she caught him running out of the woods. It was almost as if…“No…there has to be another reason,” She said, working through the knot in her throat. Wendy quickly turned to face the child.

“What other reason, Mabel? _This_ has to be the answer to why Dipper suddenly changed,” She continued, “Open your mind a bit, as sad and painful as it sounds, your brother has a serious problem, and we need to know what to do before it becomes too-,”

“NO!” Mabel cried, vehemently shaking her head, everyone in the store paused to look at her. Wendy tensed and gently led the girl into the house part of the shack. She apologized to the customers quickly with a fake smile and closed the door before looking back at the sobbing girl.

“Mabel, I know this is tough to accept, but just listen-,” She attempted again, but Mabel cut her off once more.

“ _No_ ,” She sniffled, tears slipping down her chin, “T-there’s got be another reason…I can’t…I don’t want this to be true,” She had to choke out the last bit because the lump in her throat got bigger. She wiped away the tears at her eyes, but more soon followed, “I know there’s something wrong with my brother…I know…but if he does really have…have _that_ , then why?” She asked, “ _Why_? What caused it?” Wendy exhaled slowly and pulled the child into a warm embrace.

“I don’t know, Mabes…” She murmured, “…but we’ll figure it out. We just gotta keep trying, gotta keep searching. The answer _will_ turn up.”

**▻△▽◅**

“It’s kind of sad, don’t you think Pine Tree?” Bill asked, staring at the rift that showed Mabel and Wendy. Dipper stared at his crying sister and felt a twinge of guilt race through him again. He stood a safe distance behind Bill, cradling his tender and puffy arm. It wasn’t fully broken like he thought, but it was sprained and it hurt a lot. Though, with the bruising and slight swelling, he was beginning to think that maybe he was wrong about it and that maybe, just _maybe_ it was indeed broken.

He was awake in the room, laying down in his own bed. Grunkle Stan had helped him stumble over to his own bed. The man had tucked him in, taking notice of his arm and frowning. He had asked Dipper what happened, but the boy remained silent, not having an answer for him or refusing to tell him anything. Either way, Stan sighed and fetched him an ice pack, telling him to take it easy for the day and that he would be back to check up on him. Dipper stared at his sister through the rift before it suddenly disappeared, signaling that Bill had swished it away.

“Your poor sister is trying so hard to believe in the best, to think that this is just a simple, curable disease,” Bill smirked and licked his bottom lip, placing his hands behind his back as he turned to stare out the glass window, “Too bad it ain’t, huh kid?” The demon cackled. Dipper flinched, trying to block out the laughter. He shifted carefully onto his side, ignoring the jolt of pain in his lower torso in favor of looking towards the wall. By now, a tear would’ve slipped down, but he found that he hadn’t one to spare. Or maybe, he was all out.

Anger returned to the boy on swift wings and he felt his thoughts turning towards a different path. Out of a billion kids in the world, why did Bill have to choose him? What made him so special to be in the eye sights of _Bill Cipher_? Why was the demon even doing this? He hadn’t done nothing wrong to him! Well…except the times he had managed to stop his plans. Could that be it? Was that reason for it? Because if it was, he’d gladly stop meddling with him if it meant that. He’d stop the whole mystery searching, burn all his books, even sell his own soul to the demon if it meant that this whole thing, this whole ordeal, all this pain would. Finally. _Stop!_ Dipper swallowed and turned back over to look at the demon, the anger in him reaching his eyes. He balled his hands into fists, wrinkling the sheets. Why was the demon doing this? Why was he torturing him in this way? Why make him hurt in the worst ways?

“Why are you doing _this_?”

The question took both by surprise. First Dipper because he couldn’t believe that he had the courage to ask and then Bill because he didn’t think the boy _would_ ask. The demon turned slowly, his eye focusing in on the child.

“Why?” The demon asked, “Why indeed…” He scoffed, walking over towards the boy until he was towering over him, “It’s because I _can_ ,” Bill grinned, he raised an arm and snapped his fingers, lighting a small blue flame on top of his index finger. Dipper bit his lip, his eyes igniting with fear as he squirmed nervously under the demon’s analyzing stare, “You see, kid, you were getting way too deep into secrets that your mind couldn’t possibly understand. The knowledge that you were gaining was interfering _way_ too many times with my plans. So, I had to break that little spell of curiosity over you,” The demon smiled, “And what better way than causing fear and messing with your mind?” He snickered.

“B-but why _this_? Why do all this to me?” The boy asked, gaining a spark of courage that he hadn’t felt in forever. His adrenaline was already running and despite being in a ton of pain, he found the strength to sit up a bit, his face twisting into a dark scowl of hate. Bill pursed his lips and extinguished the flame on his finger. He hummed, tapping his chin in thought.

“A good question,” he sneered, chuckling silently at the brave front the boy was putting up. It was a surprise twist and change in contrast to the everyday fear he was shown, “I mean, I suppose I could’ve gone with the whole nightmare and hallucination thing, but I wanted something exciting…something that made the adrenaline rush in a more frantic way than a simple night terror could do,” He said, shrugging, “Something that would shake your very foundation and make you fear the mere mention of me. At first, I decided to just roughen ya up, but then…I did more studies and I learned that humans like to be a dominating species,” He giggled, “They like to be in control of things and when that control slips, they do everything in their power to get it back. So, I decided to break that instinct. And what better way to take control of something then doing it by force? After all, I couldn’t have you trying to stop me when you figured out my plans, which would’ve happened eventually if I hadn’t decided to intervene at the right moment,” He burst into a fit of laughter, grasping his sides. Dipper squeezed his eyes shut tightly, a thought struck him, or more like a memory did.

“So…that day with Mabel and the rabbit…?”

“All part of the plan! Including the rabbit!” The demon beamed, taking Dipper by surprise.

“The…rabbit?” He repeated. Bill clicked his tongue.

“Why of course!” He frowned, “I had to get _something_ that would make you so desperate. First, I had to involve your sister in some way. And being that Shooting Star loves all things sparkly and cute, I decided to go with an innocent creature. After all, no one would suspect a rabbit to be evil…except for _you_ ,” Bill gleamed, his eye half lidded as he stared at Dipper with a smug look.

Dipper swallowed, “M-me?”

“Oh, yes. See, believe it or not, you’re actually a really smart kid. _Too_ smart for your own good, if you ask me. Your brain hardly registers anything kid-like thanks to that stupid journal of yours. _You’d_ rather look for something more than what is in front of you. And I like that about you kid, you read between the lines. But even I have my limits, and quite frankly, you’ve read way too much between the lines. So I created a rabbit, a decoy if you will, that would leave an intended scar on you, but, as fate would have it, you decided to get curious and explore more into that mystery. And look where that got you?” Bill gave a booming laugh and Dipper had never felt so vulnerable in his life than he did at that moment.

He felt the room spinning around him and his stomach churn in the most disturbing way. He had fallen right into a set trap. Bill had played his cards right and Dipper had no way in beating him. The quicksand that was slowly bringing him down had risen right to his chin and he was beginning to lose the war.

“Aw, don’t look so down, Dippsie! You should be lucky you got to get closer to the omnipotent Bill Cipher!” The demon cackled, closing in on the suffocating boy. Dipper felt claustrophobic. He was like a frightened animal that had been cornered by its predator. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to calm his breathing before he ended up passing out.

“Dipper, you okay?”

The boy snapped his eyes open and looked to see it was Soos. He exhaled quickly and gave a weak, strained smile, sitting up a bit to properly greet the other, “Y-yeah…I’m fine Soos,” Dipper said. Bill clicked his tongue and scowled.

“Get rid of him, we weren’t finished talking yet,” He hissed. Dipper knew he should’ve listened to Bill, but the fresh company of a familiar face made him ignore Bill in favor of trying to clear his head. Soos gave a broad smile and walked in.

“That’s a relief, dude. Hey! I brought you some snacks…though I kinda ate most of it,” Soos said with a chuckle, revealing a small plastic bag from behind his back. He handed it to Dipper and the boy gave a smile. Inside the bag were a few packages of his favorite crackers that came with cheddar cheese for him to dip them into. There was also an open bag of chips; a clear sign that Soos had indeed ate most of it. He chuckled and set the bag down.

“Thanks,” He smiled. He suddenly felt Bill’s hand press down against the mark on the back of his neck.

“I’m not giving you another warning Pine Tree, better tell him to scram before I _make_ him,” He growled. Soos noticed Dipper go pale and he frowned.

“Hey, Dipper,” He began, walking over to the boy and sitting down on the bed, unaware of how close he was to Bill, “I don’t know what’s wrong, dude…but I want you to know that I’m here for you, dude. You’re like my best bro, and I hate to see you feeling down,” He brought the child into a hug before pulling back and smiling, “If you ever need a friend to talk to, dude, I’m here.”

“One…”

Dipper swallowed and tried to pull himself out of the man’s grasp, he had to get Soos out of here and quickly.

“ _Two_ …” Bill’s voice was getting dangerously low.

“I-I appreciate this Soos, but now isn’t the best t-time,” He tried, offering his best smile as he nudged the man, hinting that he wanted to be alone, “I-I’m sick at the m-moment and well-,”

“ _Three._ ” Dipper felt the blood drain from his face and he was about to cry out, but Soos had taken him and Bill by surprise. Just as the demon was about to squeeze Dipper’s neck, the older male stood up and began walking to the door, but not before looking back, “No worries, dude. Just remember; whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to do it alone. You’re always there for me and I want you to know that I’ll always be there for you,” He gave Dipper a smile and opened the attic door, “By the way, dude, I think you got a ghost in here or something, I swear I kept hearing a tiny voice whispering or something, pretty crazy huh? Alright, well, I’ll let ya be. I gotta fix the toilet again.” And with that he was gone.

Dipper felt himself smile at Soos’ words, but then he stopped. Did Soos actually hear Bill talking?

“Don’t be stupid, Pine Tree,” Bill reprimanded, smacking the boy’s head harshly for his silent thought, “Question Mark only heard the leftover echoes from me losing my focus for a split second. He can’t actually hear my voice, he’d have to be wearing my mark to do that,” The demon said, rolling his eyes. Then, his look got serious, “Now then, someone here deserves a punishment for not listening. Ready for round two?” Bill cackled, enjoying the look of sheer terror Dipper gave before he made the boy knock out. His eyes suddenly became cold and his lips twitched upwards into a cruel smirk, “He’s starting to believe that I’m actually here…won’t be long before his mind finally starts to create a gateway for me to enter,” he glanced at the child who wasn’t sleeping so peacefully, he ran hand through the boy’s hair, tugging harshly on the strands, “Soon, I’ll finally be able to rule this backwashed town,” He chuckled darkly, “And then, the world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20-8-5 13-9-14-4 9-19 1 16-15-23-5-18-6-21-12 6-15-18-3-5. 9-6 25-15-21 2-5-12-9-5-22-5 9-14 19-15-13-5-20-8-9-14-7 8-1-18-4 5-14-15-21-7-8, 9-20 3-1-14 2-5-3-15-13-5 18-5-1-12...
> 
> Coming up Next: Dipper snaps and does the unthinkable. Mabel and Stan find out some very horrible things at the hospital.
> 
> Find out Sunday!!


	14. XIV Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best secrets are the most twisted.
> 
> ― Sara Shepard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! So yes, this is part one because, again, the chapter ended up being too long so I had to clip it. It was sooo painful to right! I had to match in so many parts and adjust so many things to....errrgh >.> thanks for bearing with me guys.
> 
> Edit: There is a trigger warning for self-harm! Please be cautious!!
> 
> Enjoy~!

PTSD.

The words burned themselves into Mabel’s head as she mulled over what Wendy had said. Could Dipper really be going through something like that? She sighed, poking at her plate of food. Stan glanced up from the paper he was reading and watched her.

“Everything okay, kiddo?” He asked, curiously, setting down the paper. Mabel looked up, she wanted to lie to her Grunkle and tell him that she was. But her conscious was grilling her. She hated lying and she hated hiding things from people if it wasn’t for a good purpose. She placed her fork down and shook her head solemnly, not meeting Stan’s gaze.

“…no…I’m not okay, Grunkle Stan,” She said sadly, “I’m worried for Dipper…Wendy told me that she things she might know what he has…” Stan leaned forward, tilting his head slightly.

“And what’s that?” He asked, curious as to what his employee might know. Mabel inhaled deeply before letting it out in a soft sigh.

“She says he has…PTSD,” Saying it out loud was like swallowing a jar of nails. It was difficult and painful. She hadn’t wanted to believe in that possibility, but the more she had researched over it, the more likely it became. Dipper had indeed showed plenty of signs and if that was case, then what was the whole reason behind it? The near death by an evil rabbit or something worse? She had a feeling it was the latter.

“Do you think Dipper has that?” Stan asked, staring at his niece. Mabel looked down at the table, fidgeting her fingers.

“I…” She swallowed, “I don’t know what to believe…” And that was the truth. Her mind was constantly playing twenty questions with her, telling her different things, giving her different options. It was hard to actually get a clear head when your brain was overloaded with doubts. There were visible bags under her eyes, a sure sign that the young girl was hardly sleeping. And who could blame her? Even Stan couldn’t sleep, but it was for different reasons. Every time Mabel closed her eyes, visions of the golden-eyed man swam around. And they weren’t pretty. She had dreams of him choking her and laughing or mocking her, telling that she couldn’t save her brother any way. Stan’s night were mostly him being tortured by the memories of his brother or, worse yet, nightmares. He would remember the downfall of his brother, remembered watching him sink closer into that pit of despair. It was a horrible feeling, not knowing what was wrong. Stan had no clue how to help his brother and the worst thing he could’ve done was become angry and spiteful towards him.

“ _S-Stanley, you don’t know what I’m up against! Or what I’ve been through! I-I know that what I’m saying sounds crazy, but p-please! You’ve got to help me!_ ” _Stan scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring heatedly at his look alike twin. In his hands was a book that his brother had handed to him. He hadn’t taken a good look at it because his brother’s words were already sinking into his mind._

_“What you’ve been through?! I’ve been to prison is three different countries! I had to chew my out of a car trunk! If you think you have problems, look at me! I’ve got a mullet! A_ mullet _, Stanford! And all you can think about is you and yourself!” He scowled, “And to top it all off, suddenly after ten years of no words from you, after struggling to just_ survive _out there, you come and ask_ me _to help you! Just like that? What about all the help I needed then? Why didn’t you help me the day I was thrown out on the streets all those years ago?!” The man growled, “You know why?” He asked, “It’s because you’re selfish!” He snapped, shoving his brother back. Stanford yelped as he tumbled back to the floor, quickly getting up and feeling anger run through him._

_“You’re one to talk! You cost me my dream school! All I’m asking you to do is the one worthwhile thing in your whole life, and all you can do is complain!” He scowled, lunging at his brother. They both stumbled down to the floor, struggling and rolling along it. Stanford cried out as his brother delivered a blow to his stomach making him double over._

_“Fine! You want to get rid of this damn book, here!” Stanley huffed, holding it up with a lighter. His brother stopped him mid-way, screeching in horror at him._

_“My research!” He shouted, knocking the book and his brother down. The journal skidded off behind him and he quickly turned to grab at it, but Stan had kicked him down and ran for it instead._

_“Stanley, give it back!” Stanford yelled at him, chasing his brother into the office. They both grabbed at each other’s neck, Ford slammed him back against a counter top, and unknowingly flipping on some switches causing the giant portal behind them flickered and cackled to life. They both tripped and fell to the floor, tugging at one end of the book._

_“What happened to it being me and you? Huh? You left me behind you jerk! It was supposed to be us together, we were supposed to_ stay _together! But all you could do was stay angry at me and push me away! You ruined my life!” Stan said, pulling the book roughly towards himself._

_“You ruined your own life!” retorted Stanford, pushing him against what he thought was a wall. Stan yelled out in pain, letting go of the journal as he felt something hot burn into his back._

_“Stanley! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! Are you alright-!” His brother began, easing his foot off and scrambling to his feet. But Stan heard none of it, instead he punched his brother square in the face, sending the man sprawling to the ground as he clutched his injury._

_“Some brother_ you _turned out to be,” The man hissed, not giving him a chance as he began walking forward, “Since you care so much about your dumb mysteries than family, you can them!” He said coldly, practically throwing the book against his chest, “Seems like you only want me around if it’ll save your ass!” With one finale outburst and push, Ford fell back to the ground. His eyes stared into his brother’s with disbelief, anger, and hurt. Stan could only glare back in return. He loved his brother, he’d do anything for him, but the bond between them had been severed thickly that horrible night._

_“Stanley…please…I’m sorry…” The words sounded broken and tired. It was as though his brother had been fighting a fight for too long and was now at the end of his rope. He was withered, old, despite being in his mid-twenties. Even during their fight, Stan could see just how much his brother was struggling to give a decent punch and shove. He noticed that the light of wonder that once shined bright in his brother’s eyes was gone. But, for the sake of not getting burned once more, figuratively speaking this time, Stan ignored it and turned his back on the other._

_“Yeah…well so am I…”_

_And that was that. Behind them, something had sparked to life. Stanford looked up in horror and grabbed at his brother, trying to grab onto something as he was suddenly lifted up and pulled into a blinding light._

_“S-Stanley?! Stanley!” He cried out, tossing the book towards him. Stan could only stare in shock and horror as he helplessly watched his brother being sucked inside a white light._

_“Stanford! W-wait! What’s going on?!” He finally managed after finding his voice._

_A loud menacing laughter filled up the room as his brother was devoured by the light, then everything went black. After that, Stan never saw his brother again. He had mysteriously vanished and he had no way of ever bringing him back. The guilt ripped through Stanley Pines like a tornado. It tore at him for days. Months. Years._

_The only thing he had in remembrance of Stanford was an old pair of glasses and a strange book embroidered with a large number 1._

Stan blinked into focus, hearing the voice of Mabel enter his thoughts. His niece was leaning over the table, a worried look on her face and a tissue in her small hand.

“Grunkle Stan, you okay?” She asked gently. The old man swallowed before bringing her into a tight hug, holding back the sobs.

“Mabel…sweetie, promise me you won’t ever leave Dipper,” He sniffled, “No matter how bad things get, no matter what mistakes you two might make, promise me that you’ll love him through and through and never let him go,” He pulled away, cupping her cheeks, “Promise me?”

The girl seemed genuinely confused, wondering what could’ve spurned on such a question from him. Peering up at him with water brown eyes, she nodded, “I promise.” She said, and that brought a smile onto her Grunkle’s face. But it was small, and it didn’t make it to his eyes.

**▻△▽◅**

Dipper stared tiredly at his reflection in the mirror. He looked so worn and tired. Grunkle Stan was right, he looked more like an adult rather than a twelve year old. He sighed as he turned on the faucet water. Cupping his hands, he filled them with water and promptly splashed it on his face. Eyes still closed, he reached for the towel hanging near him and used it to dry his face before letting out a deep breath and opening his eyes.

This time his eyes were watering and his vision was becoming blurry. Then he felt that emotion, that empty emotion of hopelessness. He had no chance of escaping Bill, none whatsoever. Though he tried his best, he really did.

He thought of spells, charms, wishes. But they all failed in a sad attempt that was rewarded with horrible punishment and nightmares. The results were starting to show too, considering Bill had a thing for providing him with signs and marks that he was his toy.

His stomach churned and he felt the saliva start to build up. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, grasping the sides of the sink to ease his lightheadedness. He knew that if he threw up, he would only be dry heaving, he didn’t have any food in him, not even liquid. It was easy enough to keep his sister and Grunkle off his back about eating. After all, their window was an easy trash can since he could just open it and toss the food outside, making it look like he was eating it.

But he couldn’t take this, he couldn’t take the pain of knowing what was happening to him and not being able to stop it. All the secrets and lies were building up on him and weighing him down. He opened his eyes, slowly as to not worsen the minor headache he was beginning to feel. He reached out with a shaky hand to grasp the side of the mirror. Tugging, he opened it to reveal all the medicines bottles inside. He reached for the pain killers, hoping that it would help cancel out the pain all over his body. He reached it inside, trying to locate it desperately before he suddenly hissed and pulled his hand back. He looked at his thumb, red droplets of blood were seeping through the fresh cut. He blinked, looking back into the cabinet and realizing that he had nicked himself with a razer’s edge. He returned his eyes to the wound, feeling something stir in him.

All these weeks, for the whole past month, he hadn’t been able to feel anything much except fear. But here, seeing the blood slide down his finger, brought a feeling of satisfaction to him. It was like discovering a new toy or mystery, it brought a thrill, a _rush_ of adrenaline so different from the fear induced ones. He reached for the object, removing it from its snug confining. The edge looked new and unused, the handle slim and smooth within his grasp. He bit his lip, eyeing the razor like candy. He glanced around the bathroom, for what, he didn’t know. Possibly Bill? But that was unlikely, the demon had said something about more pressing matters and left him be. Mabel or Grunkle Stan? Most likely not, the bathroom door was closed and they were who knows where!

He licked his chapped lips, his hand trembling as he pulled back his long sleeve, revealing smooth pale skin. Then, with baited breath, he pressed the razor against his flesh and _slice!_ He exhaled, dropping the razor and staring at the fresh new wound. Blood dripped heavily from the long gash and he breathed heavily. He had cut himself.

Dipper stared in silence, his brain whirling. Then, his lips broke into a grin and he let out a small laugh. That felt… _good_. For the most part, before everything that had happened, Dipper found it gut wrenching and horrible to self-harm. All the people he had known that had done it in middle school made his stomach churn. How could anyone possibly enjoy _that_? But yet, here he finally understood why they did it. Why they love it but at the same time hate. He stared at the newly exposed skin underneath. The pinkish white color made it look new, clean, but the boy knew it wasn’t. Then, came the sting, the feeling that _wasn’t_ the same as the fear and pain he felt. This one was small, miniscule, but it rang loud and clear in his head. He turned on the water and let the cool liquid run over his burning flesh. He let out a delighted hiss, it felt good, knowing that he could at _least_ feel something. Once the wound seemed to be done oozing red, he turned the water off and examined it. Small, thin, puffy red lines marred his skin. They were still bleeding a little, a mild comparison to the heavy rush.

He should’ve stopped the moment. He should’ve left the razor lying there on the floor. He should’ve ran out of the bathroom and confessed to Stan and Mabel about what he had just done. But the feeling of release and the dark liquid that slipped out gave him a sure assurance that he was still alive. That he wasn’t as dead as he looked. And he wanted more. He wanted more of that pain that he knew would kill him. Being dead seemed better than living a waking nightmare.

He turned his head towards the bathtub, he _did_ say he was going to take a shower.

He trudged towards the white porcelain and turned it on, watching the water sputter for a few moments before turning it on. The ongoing silence ceased as the sound of running water filled the entire bathroom. He glanced back down at his marked arm, fingers tracing over the red and irritated cut.

He licked his lips, picking up the razor and he bringing the sharp metal edge up to his arm, making sure it pressed down harshly, drawing out the red liquid.

He let out a small hiss of pain before ending the deep cut at a good length and beginning a new one.

**_“No one will ever love you, you’re disgusting to them. You’re used, tainted; pathetic!” Bill hissed, “You’ll never amount to anything anyways!”_ **

Another cut. This time it felt different.

_**Who cares if you’re broken? Shooting Star won’t care, she’ll be glad once you’re gone! She would’ve hated you anyways, you’re vile and repulsive.”**_

Tears began making their way down his cheeks before dripping off of his chin and onto his bloodied arm, bringing another sting from the salty liquid. His cuts were becoming fiercer and filled with anger, no longer was it just a way of release. With Bill’s words circulating in his head, it made his release filled desire turn into a rage fueled death. He was disgusting, he shouldn’t even be alive! He couldn’t protect himself, he couldn’t even stop Bill. He had no purpose.

**_“You should be thankful that I at least touch you, you think anyone would want to be near you once they discover what you’ve done? You think anyone will look at you the same way?”_ **

He was crying now, his heart filled with different emotions, he didn’t ask for this! He never wanted this kind of torture! He dropped the razor and sank to the ground, dropping to his knees. His sobs echoed throughout the restroom, he didn’t have any more fight in him. He didn’t have any more hope. He never should’ve made the damn deal! He should’ve found another way to save his sister! He should’ve….he should’ve… Another loud sob echoed around the bathroom.

_Give up, you’ll never win!_ His mind said, he was so grief stricken, so lost, _end it all right now! End the pain! Just do it!_ God knows he did want to. He wanted to be done with this nightmare. He craved for the peace that he knew only death would bring. He looked at his arm, it was a bloody mess; bloody enough to be considered a crime scene, but that didn’t satisfy him enough.

All his fresh cuts glared up at him with malice, he was too weak to even put a stop to this! He scowled through the tears and stood.

He took off his shirt, jeans, shoes, and socks so that he was only left in his boxers. He stared at his weak form in the mirror. He was tired of looking at his drained face, the scars, bruises, marks. Everything that made him _not_ him.

He was tired of seeing the same old, bloodshot, red and puffy eyes. He was tired of being afraid to sleep. No, he was tired of being _afraid_. He bent down and picked up the razor, he knew what he had to do. It would be easy too! He would be able to finally leave this horrible nightmare!

He would finally be able to escape Bill and his fucking games! He limped over to the shower and stared at the clear water, then he reached for the drainage plug and stopped the water from going down.

He watched the tub fill up, it seemed to beckon him to lie down, to cut himself and go to sleep. _What a fine nice bed this is for you,_ it seemed to whisper to him, _why not come and lay down? I’ll keep you safe. I’ll keep you warm. I’ll chase away all the nightmares. Come lie down. Come put that sleepy head of yours to rest_.” It was like a soft lullaby to him. And it lulled him into the liquid. The water seemed so pure, so innocent. He was almost afraid to ruin. Almost.

His crying had stopped, but he stilled sniffled and almost felt hesitant. He was leaving everyone behind, but it was for the best, right? They wouldn’t have to constantly worry over him, he wouldn’t complicate things. He pressed the razor long ways against his left wrist, long ways so that he’d get a major blood artery and _slice_! He watched the blood spill out eagerly and he did the same with his other wrist. The deed was done! He slipped into the water, letting it drown his sorrows. He held his breath and relaxed his muscles.

He could feel himself slipping away. His brain was urging him to sit up, to breathe in air. His conscious was telling him that there was another way; that he had to try! But he was so tired…so tired. _Give in,_ a softer voice whispered, _don’t be afraid. This is the way to do it. This is the only way to get rid of everything. No more pain…no more pain._ It was so tempting to give into the sweet voice. No pain, what a joy that would be. No more rape, no more torture, no more abuse. He was free. Finally free.

His breath was slowly slipping away as the water rose high above his head, red from his blood. His lungs were starting to burn from lack of air, but he didn’t dare bring himself up from some. The world around him seemed to be fading away into a whisper.

He was unconscious before he could hear her scream.

He didn’t feel her arms wrap around him.

He didn’t hear her cries for help, nor did he see her panic as she lifted him from the water. He didn’t see his uncle’s distraught face, horrified that his nephew would do such a thing, but more guilty for not preventing this in any way.

He didn’t see the tears they shed.

And as the ambulance drove off to the hospital…

He didn’t hear her words of apologies nor her pleading for him to stay with her and to be ok. Mabel cried softly, praying that Dipper would find the strength to hang on, grasping onto whatever hope she could muster inside of her.

_Hang on Dipper, please!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glsshu Slqhv uhdoob jdyh lw klv ehvw, vr pdbeh lw’v wlph wr ohw klp uhvw. Exw wkh erqgv ri idplob duh yhub vwurqj dqg fdq ila dqb sdwk ri uljkw dqg zurqj.
> 
> Yeesh, that brother fighting scene was haaaaaard. I tried to alter it in a way that would match more with this story's plot line. Not that easy. I kept erasing and rewriting. I had so many papers scattered about because I kept working on it everywhere away from the computer. ((I call it my thinking-writing process!!)) So I hope it came out good!
> 
> Coming up Next: The hospital provides a lot more information than Stan or Mabel could think. And Dipper has a word with his subconscious.
> 
> Eb wkh eb, L'p kxqjub. Kdkd, nxgrv wr zkrhyhu ghflghg wr xqfryhu wklv! Kdyh d frrnlh, brx grqh glg jrrg~!


	15. XV Aftermath Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If I maintain my silence about my secret it is my prisoner...if I let it slip from my tongue, I am ITS prisoner.
> 
> \- Arthur Schopenhauer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Aftermath of when everything went to shit! Wooo! Also, check out my tumblr, I'll posting a pic of Dipper interacting with his subconscious, so be on a look out for that ;)
> 
> Alright my lovelies, enjoy~!

The ride to the hospital was filled with blurry faces and urgent words to stop the profusely bleeding wounds. Mabel looked at her brother through teary eyes, why couldn’t he talk to her? She could’ve helped him, she could’ve guided him or given him the support he needed. She rested her head near his and let the tears fall, letting out small whimpers and words.

“I’m so sorry Dipper,” She murmured, “I’m so sorry I couldn’t help.”

_It wasn’t your fault_ , he would’ve told her. But it was, she was his sister, the only one who was closer to him than anyone else. She should’ve known what was happening, that’s what siblings do right? They make sure that everything is ok. But it wasn’t and she didn’t (couldn’t) do anything!

_You didn’t know,_ she could hear him say. But it was her _job_! She _should have_ known! She should have pried herself through his walls, she should’ve been more persistent! But she wasn’t, and now here she was. Sitting next to her pale brother on her way to the hospital.

“We’re losing him!” A paramedic shouted, snapping her out of her thoughts. Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly. She looked at the heart monitor, it was beating faster than it should have. She grasped onto her brother’s shoulder, ignoring the shouts from the medics.

“No Dipper! Hang on! I promise I’ll be better! _We’ll_ be better! I swear! I swear on my life!” She cried, “Please don’t leave me! Don’t leave me! I _need you_ here! I love you so much! Please don’t go! I’ll be better…I’ll be a better sister, I promise. _I promise_!” She felt herself being pulled away from him as the ambulance sped to a stop. They were at the hospital. She screamed and struggled against the person’s tight grip as she tried to get back to Dipper, “Let me go! Let me go! He needs me! _Please_!” She was becoming hysterical now, tears falling down her cheek rapidly.

“Mabel,” Stan said as he held her back, “Mabel look at me!” She refused, continuing to struggle against her Grunkle’s strong hold, “Mabel, _enough!_ ” Stan said, suddenly whirling her around to face him. She froze, staring at him with wide teary eyes.

“He’s…they….they were losing him!” She cried out, tears leaking down her cheeks. He pulled her into a hug as she sobbed, clinging to him like a child. He could hear her muffled voice.

“He’ll be fine Mabel, he’s a strong kid. He’ll be fine,” He tried to reassure her. But his voice was cracking and his eyes filled with his own tears. _He’ll be fine_ , a line that he was using to convince himself more than Mabel. He watched as Dipper was quickly rolled away on the gurney and into the emergency room. _Please be fine_ ….

**▻△▽◅**

Dark, everything was dark. Where was he? Was he in hell? Was this his punishment? Or was it freedom? Normally _he_ would be here, chasing him, tackling him to the ground, forcing himself into…it was so cold here.

_Hello_?

**Don’t leave me! Please!**

That voice…it sounded familiar. He looked around, but he couldn’t see anyone, was he playing mind games with him? Was he tricking him…what time was it?

_Mabel?_

He didn’t know why he said that, but it seemed important. Mabel…Mabel….the name was so familiar, it was at the tip of his tongue.

**I need you here! I’ll be better…I’ll be a better sister, I promise!**

Sister! That’s who it was! His sister. Her tone was filled with so much unhappiness, as if her whole world was shattering down to the ground. He felt his own heart break. She was just as miserable as he was.

_Where are you?_

He searched the impending darkness, not a peep of light seemed to break through. He felt lost, broken. But an odd sense of peace came to him, he was free from his worldly nightmare. But the way she was sobbing…crying…it _hurt_ , a lot worse than anything he had imagined. Well no…he had gone through hell…figuratively speaking, he wasn’t quite there yet…

**Don’t leave me!**

But it felt nice here, he felt sheltered. Warm, safe. He hadn’t felt these things in a long time, not since…he felt himself being pulled somewhere. His sister’s voice becoming faint. He had to follow that tugging! So he let it take him, he let him guide him to some unknown place. But he suddenly stopped.

**I love you so much! Please don’t leave me! Don’t leave me!**

He looked behind him, she was there. Mabel. His sister. She was crying over him, begging him to wake up. He gasped as he watched some strange men pull her away from him. He saw her being held back by his Grunkle. She looked so…so _broken_. He wanted to walk back to her, he wanted to tell her it was alright. But the dark was so comforting, he didn’t want to leave. Not yet. But as he looked around, he noticed it wasn’t dark. He was in a hospital. _Hospital_? He wandered forward, seeing his sister being comforted by Stan, how familiar…then, something rushed through him. A hospital gurney whizzed by him followed by the E.M.S and Paramedics. They were wheeling away someone, a turn down the corner made him catch a glimpse of who it was. It was him! That was him! He ran forward, but paused and looked down at his body. Nothing hurt him. The scars and bruises on him were gone, all his injuries were healed. He was better! He smiled, feeling happy to once again be the same old kid he looked like.

_You must think it’s better to stay here and watch, huh?_ He whirled around, a voice? His voice? _Geez, you act like you saw a ghost…then again, you’ve been through much worse, huh? Or rather,_ we’ve _been through so much…_

“Who are you?” He paused, reaching up to cover his mouth. His voice sounded strong, not at all hoarse or raspy. A shadowy figure emerged from his peripheral vision and he immediately turned around, catching sight of a dark mass. A cold laugh came from the dark being. It was almost like a dark wispy spirit. There was no mouth or nose, just two dim white pupils, which seemed to be its- _his_ , for it was a male’s voice-eyes.

_I’m surprised you’re not scared…then again, you probably are._ It sighed, its voice merely a whisper. It floated up to him and then right through him, sending a cold shudder throughout his small frame.

“Did…did _he_ send you?” Dipper asked. The being laughed, a hollow and lifeless laugh.

_No…but he created me. Or well, he influenced you and then you made me._

“And…you are?”

_I’m you! A former shadow of who you once were and all you could’ve been! Everything was great before he came right? Life was great! But then…_

Flashes, memories, voices, sounds. They all overpowered the blank space around them and made his head throb. He grasped the sides of his head, squeezing it as he could only stare helplessly at the moving images and doorways that summarized all the pain he had witnessed. The hospital around them had vanished and he felt as though he might be swallowed up by the dark memories that surrounded him.

“S- _Stop!_ ” He cried out, falling to his knees and breathing heavily, still clinging tightly to the sides of his head. Fresh tears kicked in and he felt something cold in front of him. He yelped, scrambling backwards, catching himself with one hand flat on the floor and the other raised slightly. He stared wide eyed into the blank eyes of the shadow as it phased through the ground. He flinched as it raised its hand, pointing its fingers at him.

_You think running out will help you? Fat chance, pal. It’s not over yet, Dipper. If you leave,_ Bill _will get Mabel next._

Dipper swallowed, feeling like the burden had been weighed once more upon him. He looked away, did he have to…? Would it be so bad…? He raised his head up at the sounds of his own screams coming from the flashing memories. He stared at one in particular, the memory of that horrible night when Bill had killed off the very last bit of his childhood innocence. The shadow whizzed behind him, circling once more before staying behind him on his left, resting one hand on his right shoulder.

_Do you want our sister suffer?_

Dipper stared one more time at that memory before heaving a sigh. He knew his answer.

**▻△▽◅**

Mabel sat still in her chair, silent and gloomy, it had been a nearly four days after Dipper’s attempt and he still hadn’t woken up, and her hope was slowly thinning. The doctor had said it was due to lack of food and loss of a lot of blood. Stan watched her from the receptionist’s desk. He sighed before filling out more of the needed paperwork. _Poor kid…what could’ve made Dipper so depressed that he would result to_ that _? Did I do something wrong? Was I too careless again?_ He felt the guilt pool around in his heart, but he quickly swatted it away. His thoughts should be on Dipper right now! He should be hoping the boy was ok, not feeling sorry for himself. He let out another sigh, softer this time.

“Is everything ok?” The woman asked. He looked at her, startled out of his thoughts. His eyes were laced with guilt and filled with misery as she tilted her head in Mabel’s direction. He shook his head.

“No, her brother pulled a suicide a few days ago,” He said trying to sound unfazed, “He hasn’t…woken up yet….” He hated himself for cracking at the end of his sentence though. Now wasn’t the time to cry, now was the time to be strong for Mabel. The lady frowned sympathetically.

“I’m so sorry,” She said handing him back his insurance card. He took it and shoved it into his pocket, he glanced back at Mabel, her sullen expression made her look older.

“Me too,” He murmured to the woman, “Me too…”

Mabel sat in her thoughts as her Grunkle went to fill out the papers. She prayed to whoever was out there that Dipper would live. She felt her eyes water once more and she angrily wiped them away. Why did he do it? Why? Why? _Why_?! That seemed to be the question that was always repeated, but it got no response back. Her fingers curled tightly in a fist.

“Mabel?” Stan called to her. She looked up at him. Her Grunkle flinched under her neutral stare.

“Yes?” She asked.

“He’ll be fine.”

She looked down at her hands, everyone seemed to be telling her that. But was it really true? Was her brother going to be fine? _Yes,_ she scolded herself, _you can’t give up on Dipper. He’ll pull through. He_ will _be fine!_

“I know,” That was a lie. She didn’t know. She doubted that Stan knew it himself, “Grunkle Stan?” She called.

“Yes?”

“Why did he do it?” She asked looking at him. He looked down, his face forlorn.

“I wish I knew sweetie,” He said sinking down into the seat next to her. She frowned, of course he wouldn’t know. Dipper wouldn’t have told him, just like he wouldn’t have told her, but why? “You know,” Grunkle Stan spoke ending the silence, “it wasn’t your fault.” She cringed before looking at him.

“But it is…I’m his sister, his sibling. His closest friend! Aren’t I entitled to make sure that _this_ was never supposed to happen?” She asked. Grunkle Stan shook his head at her and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

“No, no Mabel,” He said gently, “this incident wasn’t in any way your fault. Dipper was just going through a tough time, he didn’t tell us so we couldn’t help. We couldn’t have seen this coming.”

“Whose fault is it then?” Mabel asked with a sniffle. Stan let out a sigh.

“It’s no one’s fault, Mabel. Dipper was hurting; he didn’t know how to handle it. It’s not his fault. People do these things sometimes because they’re just confused, lost, or scared to tell someone,” He let out a small breath, “But for now though, when Dipper wakes up, we need to give him all the love we can muster, because right now, that’s what he needs the most.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Pines?” A male voice interrupted. Stan looked up immediately.

“Yes?” He asked. It was Dr. Stephenson. A tall, lean man who didn’t seem to get enough sun. Beneath his white lab coat were blue scrubs. His blonde hair was styled to the side, revealing two light brown orbs that were filled with a dark look. He held a clipboard and folder in his hands, a firm frown as he looked at the two people. Mabel looked up silently, praying that everything was alright.

“C-can we talk in private sir?” He asked. Mabel’s heart sped up.

“Why? What happened? Is he…?” Stan couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence, but he hoped to God that that wasn’t it. Dr. Stephenson cleared his throat, before glancing at Mabel then back at Stan.

“No, he’s fine. We managed to succeed in getting his blood levels back to normal and the bleeding has finally stopped. We’ve given him the proper stitches, and a blood transfusion, now it’s up to him to do the rest. However…we did get some interesting test results back,” he said. Stan raised an eyebrow.

“Like what?” he asked. Dr. Stephenson paled a bit.

“I really think we should go somewhere more private-,”

“Here’s fine, I’m sure Mabel and I can handle whatever it is,” Grunkle Stan said. Mabel nodded. Dr. Stephenson let out a small breath of air and ran a hand through his hair. He looked around.

“Follow me,” He said. He didn’t give the two much of a choice as he started to walk away from the lobby. Shrugging and giving Mabel a reassuring smile, they began to follow him. Mabel’s heart thumped loudly in her ears and she wondered if anyone could hear it. She bit her lip nervously as they passed through many rooms, the occasional coughs from patients and the low voices of the TVs or nurses, did nothing to ease her growing panic.

Finally after what felt like hours, but was probably minutes, Dr. Stephenson had led them into his office. He motioned for them to take a seat before bringing out a couple of x-rays. Dr. Stephenson let out a long breath of air. He turned to face Mabel and Stan, his face covered with concern.

“I don’t know how else to tell you this Mr. Pines, but your nephew seems to have suffered severe trauma to his body.”

“Severe trauma? Like falling from a tree or the roof?” Stan asked. The doctor shook his head.

“Afraid not, the boy seems to have internal lacerations and bleeding,” The man said. Stan’s face went blanch and he was pretty sure his jaw had hit the floor, “He’s very malnourished, like he hasn’t been eating, he has multiple bruises, _bites_ , and despite the cuts on his arms, he has scars covering his body along with burns and some bruised muscles. His right arm, by the way, is also broken.”

Mabel stared in horror, her eyes widened to the size of sauces, what the heck had happened? How could Dipper not have shown her this? How had she not seen this? Then it clicked, all the distance he had put between them, the constant pain he had every day. The weak movements, the hisses of pain, and the stifled whimpers.

“W-what happened to my brother?” She asked in a shaky voice. Dr. Stephenson sighed and shifted slightly.

“We assume, or suspect, that your brother has been involved in some form of abuse,” The man said clearing his throat, “and the weight of it was too much, making him give up.”

“But how? Who could’ve done this?” Stan asked. The doctor eyed him warily.

“There’s more” He said before pulling out more photos, “In your papers you filled out, you said that Dipper seemed to suffer from depression, paranoia, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress, all of which are symptoms to a person who has suffered some molestation or…sexual abuse, and the discharge coming from his genital was further proof for this,” The doctor looked to Stan, suspicion is his eye, “Didn’t you tell us on the day he was brought in that part of his behavior was acting aggressive and saying inappropriate things?” He asked.

“Well, yeah, but what does that mean? Are you assuming someone’s been sexually harassing him?” Stan asked, a feeling of dread weighing down in his gut. This was all so familiar. The doctor nodded, and gave a nervous glance to him. Mabel was still processing all of this, her ears trained on the doctor’s voice, but her mind was reeling with new possibilities. Could that be true? Could her brother have been involved in something as sick as that? If so, by who? And why?

“Do you know of anyone who might be doing this? Or…know of anything about this?” Stephenson asked slowly. Stan blinked before he got it. His face twisted into an angry snarl.

“Wait, wait, you think _I_ did that to him? He’s my nephew!” He shouted. The doctor raised his hands nervously, showing that he meant no harm. Mabel’s eyes widened considerably and she felt like she was going to be sick. How could that man even think so lowly of Stan? She swallowed the bile rising and tried to calm her breathing.

“I-I know it sounds crazy-!”

“You’re darn right it does!”

“-but you _are_ the only adult the children are with. What are we supposed to think?” Stephenson asked apprehensively. Stan growled under his breath and walked up to the timid doctor.

“Let me tell you something _doc_ ,” He spat, “I am _not_ a child molester, I don’t go around doing those things. You think the kid would let me near him if I messed him up that badly?”

“He could be afraid…t-there are many reasons Mr. Pines.”

“Yeah, well my fist can give you many reasons too! Especially right in the-!”

“Dr. Stephenson!” The door busted open showing a plump nurse gasping slightly, both men and Mabel looked at her, “He’s awake!”

**▻△▽◅**

Dipper opened his eyes slowly, taking in his surroundings. He almost wanted to cry. He was still here. Still in this world. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and opened them up again, meeting the same blinding florescent lights once more. He groaned, raising a weak hand, his mind not grasping onto where he was exactly. He peered around some more, his eyes feeling heavy. Then, only one thought popped into his head.

He didn’t have a single clue on how long he was out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4-16-19-6-19 1-23-5 23 22-9-9-13 3-8 9-10 23 5-16-19-12-18 4-16-23-4 16-9-12-20-5 4-16-19 13-19-25 22-19-16-15-10-20 20-15-8-8-19-6’5 16-19-23-12-4-16. 15-18 22-25 21-16-23-10-21-19 5-16-19 4-9-9-13 23 17-12-23-10-21-19, 8-19-6-16-23-8-5 4-16-19-25’12-12 16-23-2-19 23 1-15-10-10-15-10-17 21-16-23-10-21-19.
> 
> Updates may become once a week instead of twice because school has just once again started up for me (joy) so please forgive if my dates for updates aren't so set as stone! 
> 
> here's the link for my tumblr- http://ella-chane.tumblr.com/
> 
> I'll see ya around my sweets!


	16. XVI Aftermath Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Universe doesn't like secrets. It conspires to reveal the truth, to lead you to it.
> 
> \- Lisa Unger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y̦̣͖̬̊̒ͦ̂́ͤ̎o̘ͮ̉ͥͦu͈̫̖̬͇̟͆ͪͮ̍̀ ̰͉̥̟̙͍ͯ̅͑ͬc̲̼̩̀̏̉ͮ͊a͕̖̺̣̾̿ͅñ̮͌̑̒ͤ̏'̼͙͓̱̼̯͖ͯ̐̐̊ͯ̔t̟̥̀ ̝̺̖̦̩̻̺͂͗̊š̺̖̦͙ͩ́̚t͓̯̺̞̰͖̎̉o̤̳̲̪̲̹ͦ͛ͮ̾͗p̬̺̳̙̟ ̜̝̰̘͔̱̄̌̔͐m̞̣̱̾ͯͣ̔͌e̦̯ͦ̔̌ ͙̹͇̥͙̪̅̂ͪ̆̒ͅf̝͉̰̓r͕o̙͇ͧ̈́ͫ̇m̤̾ ̠̱͎̐c͎̖͇̗͖̆̐o̹̒̏̈̌ͬ̿̏m͎̰̫̙̞̼̮i̤̻͉n͚̑g͖̟͚̱̰̲ͭ̇̀̈ͮ̔ͅ!͎͚͙̓̃̅ͫ̀̎ͅ ̬͔̳̖̹͒ͣN͚͕͙̞ͅo̹̭͍͆ͫ̉͗̐̒ ̻̙͖͕̼̞͕̂m̮̱͆a̳̍͆t̩̯̞̰͚͙t͓̫͓ͦe͇ͮ͆͌́r̝̝͚̱̂̈̓ͅ ̪ͧͅw̥̋ͭ̒ͬͯh͉̟̱̥̣̩̭a̘̺̩̔͋̐̋̑ͯt̺͕ͥͥ ̦̞̖̺̆ͬy̥̜͙̼̙ͨ͆̾̉̚o͔̻̭͎̹͇̍̅ͯ̽u͇͇͓̱̘̓ͦͧ ̼̩̳̋͒ͯ͆̎̿t̙h͐͋ͨ͒͛i͍͊̇͐n͙ͯ̈́̿͒k͎̥̭̖̜̘̪ ͈̭ͩͣ̈́̾ẙ̱̘̰o̹̪̖͋̌͛ͤͥ̍ü͎̩ͯͭͥ ͍̱̻̟̻ͬk͌n̥̜ͦ͋ͮ͗ͤͬo͗̏̆̄̿w̤͉̹̅͌͗̓̃.͔͔̙̹͎̅̑͌̽̓̃̈́ ̥͈͙̱̽̈T̟ͫ̑̇h͐͗e͖̺̠͈͎͍͑̔ͥ ̱̟͔̍ͮͨͦ̀̊͌g̲̻͙̫͇ȁ̱̍̒tḛ͈̖̥̄̽ͯ͗̑w̩̞͈̳͔̖ͦ̐̄a̼̬̥̩͇͊̅͗͊ͥ͑y̠̘͙ͫ̓ͩ͗̋̔ ̫͊̽ͭ̚i̳̤̠̫̼̗͉s̼̯͈͓͔̍̓͛̋ ̣n̫͕̺͙̝͛͛ẽ͓͔̍a͎̙̩̼ŕ̻͓͂̌̉̿l͐̏ͤͤͤ̒̃ẙ̭̠̒ ̈̍ͧ̓f̬͊ŏ͖̙̯̮̝̳̋̌̏̈̉͐ṛ͔̮̠̭ͧ͒ͣ͋̃mi̍͂̄̽̉̈̏n͇͇ͮ̔̑ͨ͒̑g͉̳̪̻̔,͚̗̳̅͂̑ ̠̜̗͕̬͓̎͐͌s͔̔̌̍ͦ̓͑͐o̎ͬ̂ͤ̃ ̥̜͙̜̿̿͌͊b̦̦̖͖̹̪̣ĕ̪̬̙̟̟͆̎̑t̫͈͔̫̥̱͒͑̾͌̓ͯt̯͛̆̄̐͋̑͒ê̫ͨr͖̹̝ͣͥ̏̾́͑ ͐̈̃̒͆ͦ͑p̞͈̹̺͎ͪ̓ͭ̂̏̚r͍͉̤̺͖ͬ̏͋͊e͈͉̘̮̐̅p͓̦͕͚̺̑̔̎á̬̲͈͆̂͛̍̊̀r̮͙͉ͥe̖͖͈̤̻̒ ̤̙͍̎̾̈ͧa̤̲̰ͩͧ ̗̗̺͉̘̥̫͑̽̍́͒͌̚f̯̩a̘͉̪͇̗̱ͤͨ́͂̂̌n̬̏t͎̮̤̾a̙̙͗s͕͚̟̤̙͓̪̒̚t̰͎̲͈͇ͨi̝͕̭̻͉̩͑̽ͬ̓c̄ͣ̆ͦ̒̈́̎ ̹̤̻͓̫̹̃̄͐h̖̣͇ͮ͑̓̂o̫͎͉̘̞̐̓̏̿m̲̯̣͍̗̃è̤͔̳͚̓̽̋͛c̪͓̱̬̱o͐͛͆ͧ̾ͣm͚̹ͩ͋́̚i̹̊ͥ̓͌n̬͚̗̤̬̮̻ͫͩ͒͋̏ͧg͓̒!͓̣̫̮̔͌ͩ̄̌

When Dipper first opened his eyes, it felt like a dream. Everything was just so surreal to him. His eyes had stung from the bright lights hanging above him. His ears rang as though they hadn’t worked in ages, the surprised yelp from some nearby lady looking at him didn’t help at all. His mouth felt dry and his body hurt all over. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but it felt all muddy and gross, and his tongue felt thick and swollen. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of lemon scented cleaner and sanitizer. He moved his fingers, stretching them. He felt weak and very hungry. His eyes looked around curiously, noticing the strong light coming from through the white curtains. He wondered why they needed the big lights on when there was plenty of sunshine outside. The boy sighed and relaxed further along the pillow.

It was then that he noticed the beeping. He lifted his head up, gritting his teeth at the massive head rush before peering at the monitor next to him. There were red numbers on it, too blurry for him to read, but the red light that was going up and down at a steady pace led him on to what it was. It was a heart monitor. He glanced down at his arm and noticed a tube running out of it and up until it connect to two I.V bags filled with different liquids. One red, the other clear. Looking back at his arms, he noticed something. Black, threads, seemed to be lacing each wound, closing them shut so that they wouldn’t bleed. Stitches, he thought, he had stitches. Then everything came rushing back at him.

Suicide. He had just tried to pull a suicide!

He felt like he was going to be sick. Glancing around wildly, he searched for a trashcan. He couldn’t spot one. His breathing began to pick up and his heart began to race. What was going on? Why was he still alive? Shouldn’t he be dead? Oh, god, oh god! He was screwed, he was so screwed!

“No, no, no,” he whispered, sitting up right only to hiss in pain. He knew why of course and that only made his stomach churn horribly again, “I’m not supposed to be here…oh, geez…” He panted, the heart monitor racing along with his own heart. And just when he was about to lose his shit and run, the door flew open and a loud voice rang out, causing him to scream and cover his ears, eliciting a sharp spike of pain to shoot up his arm.

“Dipper!” A voice called. His eyes were still closed as he felt the room getting smaller. Dizzy. He was getting dizzy from the atmosphere. Voices buzzed around him and when he tried to open his eyes all he saw was Bill. He screamed again, flinging himself off the hospital bed and onto the linoleum floor.

“Stay away! Stay back!” He cried, shaking in terror as he scooted himself back into the nearest wall, still covering his ears and keeping his eyes shut. He rocked himself frantically, trying to block out all the noises and sounds.

“…tor! Somebody get the doctor!”

“Nurse! …bring some…needs…now!”

“…away! Back away! He needs…ace!”

“ _SHUT UP_!” He heard himself scream, pressing closer to the wall and squeezing his hands tighter against his ears. He couldn’t focus, couldn’t get a grip back on where he was! Luckily the noises stopped. He gritted his teeth. Air! He needed air! He let go of the breath he had been holding and sucked in greedily. Cracking his eyes open slowly to the blurry world around him. His ears were ringing again as he released his near death grip off of them. He blinked back tears, swallowing hard as he adjusted to the lighting once more.

He saw someone move forward and his defenses went up again, his eyes staring in fear and his arms raised to protect himself.

“Dipper, calm down…it’s alright,” A soothing voice called out to him. Who? “It’s me, Stan, your Grunkle. I ain’t gonna hurt ya, kid,” he said. Stan…Grunkle Stan…? He blinked and stared at the older man, watching him move closer as though he were approaching a frightened animal. And you might as well had called Dipper that with the way the way his eyes were staring at him with a crazed, fearful glint and the tenseness in his body structure.

“Grunkle…S-Stan…” he repeated softly, lowering his hands slowly. Stan nodded, kneeling down in front of the child, his arms opened to take him in. Dipper felt his lower lip tremble and he practically threw himself forward, encasing himself into the warm safety of his Grunkle. He sobbed into his chest, breathing in the scent of security, “Grunkle Stan…I’m scared…” he whimpered to him, “Help me…please…I don’t like feeling this way,” he blubbered, his body shaking as he let out all the pain inside of him.

Mabel watched with a hurting heart. Hearing the pain filled sobs of her twin brought her into her own. She ran forward, wrapping her arms around the back of his thin frame, finishing the sandwich hug.

And they stayed like that, the doctors exiting the room and letting the small broken family patch itself up again.

**▻△▽◅**

“Remember when we threw that awesome party after we had finally defeated Gideon and we had to sing together in order to defeat the zombies?” Mabel asked warmly, bringing a smile to both Dipper and Grunkle Stan’s faces, “I liked that day...it was amazing.”

They were all currently sitting on the floor. Stan resting against the wall with Dipper and Mabel curled against his sides, an arm slung around each twins shoulders. The scene was a calming one, bringing ease and comfort to each one. The earlier moment and the incident that happened a few days ago were gone, almost nonexistent to them as they stayed snuggled with each other, reminiscing of more joyful memories and getting lost in them. Dipper stared blankly at the floor, pressing himself closely to Stan, seeking love and attention that he so badly craved for, and Stan gave it. Giving the boy loving kisses on his head and telling him how much he cared for him and Mabel. He gave Dipper a reassurance-albeit a small one, but still there- that he would always be there to protect him, not matter what. The boy responded with a grateful smile and burrowing his head against him.

So far, Dipper had not said a word to them about anything. Which was fine and little worrisome. Fine because they didn’t want to force the boy into saying what he might not be ready for, and worrying because they wanted to know who was hurting him so that they could put a stop to them.

“Did I ever tell you kids, about the day when your parents had called to let me know they were sending you off to here?” Stan asked, drawing interested glances from both children, who both shook their heads. Stan smiled fondly, “Well, when it happened, I had been lounging about in front of the TV. Business was blooming and I was tired from giving all the tours on that day. So when the phone rang, I was a bit upset at having been interrupted from my slight dozing,” At that, both twins sniggered, knowing well at just how cranky their Grunkle could get from lack of sleep, Stan replied with a humorous smile of his own, “As I was saying,” he chuckled, “I didn’t answer it at first, rather I let it go to the answering machine. But what I heard was this, _Stanford, it’s me, Shermie_ ,” he said, making his voice going into a low nasally one by holding his nose closed, the action alone had both kids giggling, “ _I’m calling to let you know that my children are coming up to see you for the summer. Hope you don’t mind!_ ” He gave a light smile at the memory and leaned his head back against the wall.

“Did you mind?” Mabel asked, peering up at Stan with a grin. Her Grunkle shook his head and returned her grin.

“Maybe at first, but then I thought, well that’s great! A pair of helping teenagers to help me out with shack, and the best part? I don’t have to pay them!” He said, “But imagine my surprise when I find these two wonderful, if not crazy, children standing at the bus stop,” He laughed, “Boy was that a head spin. I was annoyed at the thought that maybe you two would be spoiled brats and I’d have force ya to do things,” he sighed, then he gave them both a gentle squeeze, “But nope, your parents blessed this lonely old man with the two greatest treasures he could have ever been given,” He said, choking back his joyful sobs and holding the kids closer.

“Aw! Grunkle Stan!” Mabel said, tears spring at the corners of her eyes. She got up and wrapped her arms around the old man and hugged him tightly. Stan jolted with surprise before smiling and wrapping an arm around her, he glanced at Dipper, who bit his lips unsurely.

“I’m including you as well, Dipper,” Stan smiled, his eyes holding nothing but sincerity and the boy had to force himself not to cry again as he wrapped his own arms around Stan, “I love you kids…I know it’s something I don’t say that too often, but I wouldn’t give you up for all the money in the world.” And that was the truth.

The doctor and nurses came in soon after that, all wearing sympathetic smiles. Stephenson stepped forward and walked over to the huddled family. Dipper neared Stan as the doctor kneeled in front of him.

“Dipper?” he said, softly, the boy nodded, “I’m Dr. Stephenson,” the man smiled, showing off pearly white teeth. Dipper felt a rush of familiarity run through him. Dr. Stephenson’s blonde hair and light brown eyes brought a small twinge of fear to him, but he blocked it off for the sake of getting past this. Adults still made him weary and fearful, and with the close proximity of the doctor, the emotions became stronger.

“H…h…i…” Was all the came from his mouth. His voice was soft and weak, almost like he had lost any confidence in speaking to anyone. He just couldn’t control his voice anymore. Dr. Stephenson nodded in understand and sat back on his hunches as he opened up a manila folder.

“I understand that you nearly left us, do you remember that?” He asked. Dipper swallowed. Did he remember that? Of course he did! He remembered the stings, the blood, and the water surrounding him. He remembered his vision fading and his body giving out. He blanched and nearly doubled over from the dizziness he felt and Dr. Stephenson noticed, “Whoah, it’s alright Dipper,” he said, grabbing his shoulder gently to ease him. Dipper tensed, every fiber and nerve in him freezing. His blood ran cold and the red flags were raised very high in his head.

“L…e go…” he whispered. Everyone looked at him.

“Pardon?” Stephenson asked. Dipper blinked back tears, trembling slightly and Grunkle Stan blinked, the words clicking in his head as he remembered getting the same reaction from the boy a few weeks ago.

“His shoulder…he wants you to let go of it,” he said, at Dr. Stephenson’s questionable gaze Stan’s eyes turned cold, “I know this because I got the same reaction from him when I tried to talk to him,” he added and the younger man’s eyes turned away.

Dr. Stephenson let him go and sighed, standing up and writing something down, “Can we go ahead and move the boy back to the bed? His vitals still need to be checked on and we have to make sure his stitches are still closed. With all the excitement from earlier, I guess you didn’t notice that you pulled out your I.V needle,” The man said, nodding to the nurses to hop to it. Stan nodded and slowly stood up, pausing when Dipper clutched to his suit’s jacket tightly. He reassured the boy and explained to him what needed to be done. Dipper gave a reluctant nod and walked to the bed, limping a little from the lingering pain in his lower regions before sitting down and easing into a lying position when the nurses instructed him to. Stan had to usher Mabel outside and they both had to wait so the doctor could have his word with Dipper.

The said boy gulped nervously as the nurses finished their jobs and walked out, closing the door behind them. Dr. Stephenson continued making notes before pulling out for the chair against near the window and bringing it close to the bed where Dipper was back to sitting upright.

“So, Dipper, want to talk about what happened? Or you want to shoot straight to the questions?” He asked. The boy looked everywhere but at the man, his leg shaking under the pressure. He bit his lip, hesitating on what he should say. Dr. Stephenson smiled at him kindly, showing that he meant no harm and the boy released a puff of air.

“C…can we g-go straight to the questions?” He asked timidly and the man smiled, placing his clipboard and folder down before clapping his hands together softly.

“Certainly, sport!” He grinned, making Dipper smile as well. The way the doctor was talking was easing the boy into a calm state and he almost felt happy, “So, what do you want to know?” He asked, leaning back in his chair. Dipper pursed his lips, looking up at the ceiling before answering.

“What’s going to happen to me now? Am I going to be let free?” He asked. Stephenson gave a small laugh, one that was airy and light and filled the room with a sense of safety.

“You say it like you’re in a prison,” The doctor joked, earning a soft chuckle from the young child, “but, sadly, you can’t go home just yet…you’re going to have be put into a rehabilitation center for a short while. Not the long. We just need to get you to open up a bit that’s all.”

Dipper tensed and he gaped, “W-what? B-but why? Do I have to? What about my parents, do they know?” he asked, bombarding the man with questions. Dr. Stephenson held his hands up, getting the boy to ease up a little.

“Dipper, you need to understand that suicide is a dangerous path. You’re only twelve years old, you got your whole life ahead of you,” The man said, “the center is a place that will help you. It will show you that you’re not alone and that there are better ways to dealing with problems that you can’t understand,” He said, then he leaned forward a bit, “You know, when I was thirteen, I pulled a suicide,” Dipper blinked in surprise, sputtering out an answer of disbelief, “I’m serious, look,” The man insisted, lifting up his sleeves to reveal pale lines going down his arms and wrists, “I was going through a rough patch,” he went on explaining, “I was bullied for being a bit heavy on the chubby side, people hated me because of how poor I was, and to top it all off, I was being molested…by a fellow neighbor,” The man said, tearing up a bit at that, though his eyes gleamed with a different glint at the boy. Dipper felt his heart constrict with understanding, not noticing the look, but knowing just how well it felt to be preyed on by an older person.

“Did he make you keep it a secret?” He asked, staring at him with deep understanding sympathy. Dr. Stephenson pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded.

“Yeah…and it was a hard time for me Dipper. I had to keep so many secrets from everyone. My dad, mom, sister…it was a horrible time,” He said, reaching out to place a hand on the boy’s shoulder, carefully though and when Dipper didn’t tense or fight him off, he took it as a good sign, “My neighbor, Mike, he threatened me with the life of my family. All I had to do was keep his evil doings secret and my family would safe. And for the longest time I did, and it hurt. It hurt so much that I found myself barely breathing and not sleeping normally. Until I finally tried to end everything. My sister found me, lying there in a pool of blood,” He said, cringing at the memory, “After that I told them everything, and they gave me the justice I needed,” He suddenly paused, and the room around them suddenly became tense. Dr. Stephenson stood up abruptly, taking Dipper by surprise, “But you know what happened shortly after that, Dipper?” He asked, his voice taking on a darker tone, “They all _died_.” And suddenly he was pinned down, strong arms pressing his frail ones against the bed. Dipper froze up, eyes wide as he stared in horror at the trap he had fallen into.

The boy swallowed heavily, feeling tears blur his vision as his brown eyes connected with a familiar golden one.

“No,” he groaned out in agony, “No, _please_ , no,” He whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut as Stephenson-no, _Bill_ , tightened his grip.

“Thought you could take the coward’s way out, huh Pine Tree?” Bill sneered, his own voice vocalizing through Stephenson’s. He bit his lip, feeling the taste of metal on his tongue, “Thought by slipping into death’s clutches you would be safe? How pathetic,” A low cackle blew across his face, making him shudder. Why now? Why this? He felt a small stifled sob shake his body and he opened his eyes, looking towards the door. He tried to move his hands again, but the force of it caused one of the stitches to break, making blood seep through.

“Grunkle Stan!” He tried to scream, but one of Bill’s hand were already wrapping around his neck, squeezing it tightly and blocking the air from him. He wheezed, hands flying to try and pry the hand off of him. Air! He needed air! Then suddenly, he was submerged in water. The liquid sloshed around him, rising high above him. He could feel hands holding him down, pinning him to the floor of the tub. Laughter boomed all around him and he knew just who it belonged to. He opened his mouth to scream, but only water filled his air deprived lungs, making him choke even more. He fought and struggled, trying to fight off the hands that wouldn’t let him up. _Please! Please help me! Somebody! Anybody!_

Just as he thought he was about to die one more time, he was suddenly lifted up, the burning in his lungs ceasing as he sucked in a mouthful of air greedily, turning over to puke out the water that he had swallowed before trying to steady his breath, “S..s-stop…” he rasped, coughing and wheezing. He was on the floor, a puddle of water beneath him. Water droplets fell from his wet and tangled hair, he felt it sliding off his cheeks and soaking him down to the bone. Bill stood behind him, staring down at him with a leering gaze.

“Oops, was that a not so splashing time down memory lane?” Bill snickered, walking forward and grabbing a fistful of dark brown strands. He pulled Dipper’s head back harshly, earning a yelp from the boy as he forced him to look up at him. The boy’s salty tears mixed with the water droplets that littered his face and this brought a smirking smile to Bill’s face, “Let that be a warning, Pine tree. No matter what happens, you better _not_ tell a soul. Your family already knows way too much, now it’s time to clear up this mess you made. Starting with getting them to see that you’re fine. Which means _knock off the depressing bullshit_ ,” Bill glowered, his eye-eyes, since he was still in Stephenson’s body-flashing a deep crimson red, “Do I make myself clear?” He growled. Dipper nodded rapidly, ignoring the tugging pain that came with the movement.

“Y-yes, Bill,” he replied monotonously. Bill smiled in satisfaction, dropping him carelessly before walking back over to the seat and plopping himself down in it.

“You’re sister and Grunkle should be walking in soon, make yourself presentable,” The demon said, resuming his doctor personage as he slowly got up from the floor, “Remember, Dipper, _I’ll be watching you_!” And then the door opened, and true to Bill’s words, in came Mabel and Stan, looking over at him once to make sure he was okay before turning back to the doctor. Dipper feared they might’ve seen the water, but when he felt himself, he was dry, and the water on the floor was gone. He turned back to the doctor, but he merely held the side of his head and grimaced.

“I feel like I’ve got a nasty headache coming,” He groaned out silently, before his eyes connected with Dipper’s. The boy stiffened, expecting to see Bill shining through them, but instead, all that remained was the same friendly light brown eyes from earlier, which made him wonder if he had been hallucinating the whole time, but something deep within him knew better.

“Dipper already knows about what’s happening tomorrow, I’ll leave you all to say goodbye and whatnot,” Stephenson smiled, though it was strained, before making his way out of the room.

Dipper watched him leave, before opening his mouth, “Dr. Stephenson,” He said, expecting him to turn and look back, “Sorry about your sister,” Was all he added. But the doctor merely gave a confused expression.

“I don’t…have a sister,” He said slowly, before quirking an eyebrow and leaving. Dipper felt like he had just been slapped in the face.

“Oh, no, Dipper, your neck,” Mabel said, walking over to her brother and lightly touching a small spot. The boy gasped and jerked back, feeling the bruise that Bill had created from when he was choking him, “And your arm! What happened?” She asked softly, gently holding his arm where one of the stitches had torn open. It was bleeding, but only slightly. Yet, the boy felt too drained and too tired to care. Instead he eased his way out of Mabel’s arm roughly and pushed past her.

“Nothing,” Dipper said coldly, climbing back to the bed and pulling the thin cover over him, not letting them see his tears, “Nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jvy ozzk ox gvo ruhyk cpz zuyk cly zopy. Uj’k juqy xol qy jo vchy koqy xip! C voknujcr xol jvy urr quwvj by c wlycj cjjlcajuop, ux opre Kvoojupw Kjcl aoirz kjon byupw c zukjlcajuop!
> 
> Updates should be by Monday!


	17. XVII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best way of keeping a secret is to pretend there isn't one.
> 
> ― Margaret Atwood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Î̿̐ͦ̋̋'̦̒̓ͧͫv̠̦̖̋ͅe̞̖͓͔ ̰͍̿̀ͥͤ̒̚ṛ̠͖̘͇̜̥̋̓ͫ͌o͈͖̜͚̫̹ͨ̃͂ͣ̇ͧl̰̠̝̱̩̮̓͛̂l̀̓̂̉̈̓͐ẹ̣̪̾̐d̮ ́͑̄ͥ̍ͥͤt͎͉̫͓ͮ̇̎ͭ̎͂ͅh͙e͕͎͕̯͒̎̇ ͂d̬͈͕̩̣̾i̖̣͉͐̓͊ͥ̃͂̚c̬̳̺̞̟̟̀͐͗̌e̘͖ ̘͙͔̾͐an͕̲̤ͨͬ̿́̐d͎ ͇̪͎͚̎̄̚ͅm̤̜̂͑̈́ͥ͆o͚̩̮̍v̯̝̞̻͉̥͂̚ͅȇ̠̫̯̟͙̗͑̎ͬ͌ď̙̳̦̦̺̱̥͗ͭͭ ̬̈́a̖̮̦̘̻̭̤h̤͎͖̱e̽̌̾ͩ́̅̚a̯͇ͧd̟͂,̩̣̭̗̟̩̓ ̗̪͉͚̼̺ͭ̑̈ͬ͊̚n̐ͪ̇o̙͇͕̰̝̣̜wͧ͂ͪͧ͊ ̈̆̓i̼ͬ̒̈t͎͉̘͍̍ͣͫ̾̅'͉̲̮͕̝ͣͭ̊̑ͪ̈́͂sͮͦ̄̐͊͑ ͖ͨͮ̓̇̀̇ͫy̬̭̹͋̉̇͆̂͛̑o̜͖͍͍͈͋̈́ͦ̆ͪ̋ͩu̼̮̼̼̭̓͒̅r̜̱̲̈͒̏ ͈͉̱͍̝̭ͨ̄̋̎̓̎t̠u̒̔̾ͣ̿r̲͙̉̐n̖̜̼̖̼,̣̼͍͎͙̬̫̒̀͋̉ ̰͙͎b̤͎͆ū̳̜̯́t̺̭͖̪̾̆ͫ́ͭ̚ ͭ̓́b̩̘̼̟̟͙̳ë̲́ͮ̓̅̊ͮ͛ ̖̺͖ͤͦ̿̿̚c͎̫̝̓a̹͕̯̞r̰̦̱̻͚ͧ̈́͆̍̒ͮe̗͎̮ͥ̅̽̚f̭̘̟̠́̓ͩ̄͐ͯṷ̺͉̘̋̂͗̈́̌ͫ̾l̳ͬ̎͐ͨ̔̄ ̬̰̆ͧ͆͛ͩ̚o̘̰ͧͩ͋r̻̒ͬͥ̄̆ ̗̦͉̟̇y̱̣͉͓ͦöͨͬ͋͑̎ȕ́ͦ'ͮ̿͌ͥ̿̄ͭḷ͍̱̊̒l͙̘̮̼̙̳ ͓̐̈́ͅe̤͓͔̠ͮ̒̊̿̔n̯͔̼̗ͩd̪͎̪̋ ͙̰̯ͧ̍̅͐u̹͉̣̱̺̣͎̅̇p̗̺ ͕̠̦̯̱͚̈ͪd̘̦͉̤̣̜̮̊ͧe̗͈͔͎̮̞̜̽a̱̤͍͖ͯ̌͐̓̄̋ď͖͕̩ͩ!̉
> 
> ̦͕͎̲̼̗͑̂̏̇

Upon his arrival at Gravity Falls, _Cheerful Smiles_ Rehabilitation Center, Dipper had to say he was moderately impressed. The building was big and looked almost like the northwest mansion, except filled with patients and doctors dressed in white. The walls were white and clean, accented with a black stripping at the bottom and littered with portraits-old and new-, the floors were a soft shade of a grey marble pattern that shined and reflected everything around it or above it. Huge hanging lights hovered above them and filled the place with a lovely shading. Everything about it seemed pricey, but according to the thin, twenty-something year old receptionist at the main lobby, it was covered by the hospital along with insurance. Something that Dipper didn’t think his Grunkle had, but apparently did. The boy took in the sights as he firmly held onto his suitcase.

As Stan conversed with the lady, he went off to do some more exploring, except this time, Mabel had tagged along with him, claiming she wanted to Mabelfy the place to make sure it was safe for him. He let her, finding a sense of comfort with her in his presence. They approached what appeared to be a library. And Dipper felt a feeling of pure awe. Shelves upon shelves and rows upon rows of books filled the magnificent place and he could feel his hands just itching to read something. There were a few patients in there along with some staff, they merely took a glance at the two before continuing what they were doing.

“Can I help you two?” A light, southern accent asked. Dipper and Mabel both whirled around and were rendered silent at the lovely figure looking down at them. A broad tanned lady wearing a white nurse’s outfit that stopped just below the knees was looking at them. Her dark blue eyes inspected them, but the dimpled smile she held showed that she was friendly. Her shiny dark auburn hair was tide back in a neat bun, showing off three small birthmarks that went down in a straight line on her left cheek. She lifted a perfectly tanned and manicured hand to give a small wave in front of their eyes, “Uh, hello in there?” She joked, bending down slightly, “You two alright?” She chuckled. Both twins snapped out of their daze and nodded, still not believing that the beautiful flawless woman was talking to them.

“Kids! There you are!” Stan’s voice brought upon all three eyes to glance over at him and he slowed his walking a little, “Oh, I see you’ve met him already,” He said softly. The lady’s eyes lit up and she looked down at Dipper before flashing an even broader smile, revealing perfectly white teeth, they were a little crooked in the front row, but it seemed to give her a cuter appeal. Dipper found himself smiling back, noting that she had a cute button nose.

“Ya mean this is Dipper?” She asked, Stan nodded and hummed in affirmation, “Well howdy do?! I’m Ms. Nicole Rooster, but you can call me Nicki. I must say it’s a pleasure to meet the new cowboy who’ll be staying under my care,” She said. Dipper blinked, remembering where he was before stepping back.

“W-wait, you’re my doctor?” He asked. She nodded before pursing her lips.

“Well, I’m like your therapist, but I’ll be the one who makes sure you get your daily doses and just overall make sure you’re doing fine here.” Dipper suddenly seemed to be panicking, he had forgotten between the ogling and checking out the place that he was actually going to be staying here. He seemed nervous and began looking around before running to Stan and clinging on to him.

“G-Grunkle Stan, I’m fine…honest, I am,” He said, “I don’t need to stay here, I’m fine!” Nicki frowned in sympathy and walked over to Dipper, but he scowled at her and moved out of her reach, “Stay away from me!” He growled, “I don’t need to be here, I’m fine. I’ll be better, Grunkle Stan, I swear I will,” He pleaded. Stan looked torn, grimacing in silent pain at having no choice but to keep Dipper here before he knelt down.

“I know you will…but these people can help you better than I can,” he said, cupping the boy’s face gently. Dipper stared into his Grunkle’s eyes, betrayal flickering in them, “I know you’re scared, but I will get you out of this Dipper. I want to end your suffering, but I need you to heal first.”

“B-but I _will_ heal, I just need to go home with you and Mabel. I want to go back to the shack with you guys,” he said. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he tensed, looking up to see Nicki gently trying to reassure him. Stan stood up, sighing and hugging him tightly.

“You need a change of setting Dipper, this is for the best,” Stan said, “Remember what your parents said?” True, his parents had said so, reluctantly though. They had no idea what was really going on, but they knew that their son was in trouble. So they said yes, unable to pay for the center down in California, and they had promised to be there soon, but Stan knew their soon wouldn’t be close enough. He was trying to get the boy to feel okay staying here at _Cheerful Smiles_ and that he would be safe, though it felt like he was trying to convince himself more than him. Mabel stepped over and reached for her brother, hugging him tightly.

“You’ll be fine here Dipper, we’ll see you soon, and I swear I’ll visit every day, as many times as you like!” She said, “We’ll make it work.”

Dipper pushed away from her, tears in his eyes, “I don’t _want_ it to work, I want to be with you guys,” He whined. Stan gently took Mabel into his arms, and they both bid their last goodbyes to him. Dipper watched them as they turned to leave, feeling Nicki trying to comfort him. He broke away, tears prickling his eyes as he began to run after the disappearing figures of the only two who brought him comfort, “M-Mabel! Stan!” He cried out, Nicki tried to pull him back, but the boy snarled at her, shoving her as best as he could before running after them, ignoring the cries of his doctor. He felt like a child being separated from their mother.

He had to get to Mabel and Stan, he had to convince them that he was fine. And he was fine! Right? Everything was okay! He just had to show them that he was. He ran into the lobby, but he couldn’t see them anywhere. He gazed around like a mad man, crying and yelling despite the stares from everyone else. He felt some doctors try to reach out but he jerked out of their touches, “No! You’re not them! You’re not my sister! You’re _NOT_ my sister!” He shouted and screamed, fighting and punching against anyone who dared tried to hold him.

“Dipper!” The shout from Nicki made him pause and he glared at her.

“Stay away from me!” He shouted at her, “Stay away! I _hate_ you! I _hate_ all of you!” He cried, but he gave up and fell to his knees, sobbing and crying for his sister and Grunkle to come back. He even let Nicki wrap her arms around him and hug him.

“Shh, it’s alright Dipper,” She cooed, rubbing soft circles onto his back, “They’ll come back, they’re not gonna just leave you,” she said, easing his mind, “I know it’s tough for you to leave them, but you’re not the only one here feeling like that. There are other kids here too,” She said. He sniffled, leaning into her warm touch.

“There are?” he asked, sniffling as he leaned back a little. She nodded.

“Yup, there are. Do you want to meet them?” She asked. He shook his head, no. he didn’t want to meet anyone.

“I want to go home.” He stated, “Please, let me go home,” He begged, staring at her with pleading eyes. He suddenly felt like he was stuck with Bill again and the thought made fear strike him down to his core. Nicki let out a sigh, knowing full well that Dipper couldn’t, at least not for a while, go home. She stood up, helping him onto his feet as well.

“I’d love to, Dipper, but you’re not healed yet. C’mon, let’s at least go meet your new roommate,” She said, urging him to at least feel some sort of excitement. But the boy only stared at the lobby doorway, letting her guide him away.

**▻△▽◅**

Dipper’s new cell, or _bedroom_ as Nicki said it was called, was on the second floor and sixth door down the hall to the right. She tried to make the place seem like it was a second home to him, but Dipper could honestly care less about what this place could be, all he knew was that he was going to get out of here as soon as possible and go to his _real_ home. No way was he going to let some lady think of him as a looney. Nicki glanced back at him, checking to make sure he was still walking.

“Dipper, everything alright?” She asked with a smile, Dipper frowned at her.

“I’m not crazy, y’know,” He said, staring right into her eyes, “I’m not.”

“I know that, but this place isn’t for crazy people. It’s just a place that’ll help you to relax and clear your head. I read your file, I know what you did, and I just want to let you know that I’m going to do my best to help you feel better,” She said, her voice firm, “I know you’re troubled Dipper,” The boy felt like rolling his eyes, troubled wouldn’t be what he’d say, “I know that something bad is happening to you or was happening to you. But, just know that here, nothing can harm you.”

At that he wanted to tell her that now _she_ was the crazy one. There was no helping him. He was just as good as dead where he stood. But he only gave a half-hearted smile and paused as she did. She gestured to the door she stood in front, a pale white one that had a blackboard on it, ‘ _Welcome Dipper!_ ’ it read, and it was surrounded by smiley faces and bulb shaped aliens. One of them had a squiggly speak bubble that said, ‘ _I am an alien, beep boop!_ ’ there was something about it that read Mabel all over and it brought a sense of peace to him.

“Go on,” Nicki smiled at him, gently urging him towards the door, “Terry’s inside waitin’ for ya. He’s been excited since finding out a few days ago,” She chuckled, as if remembering the person’s reaction. Dipper found himself giving a tiny smile, it felt nice to know that someone was happy about meeting him. He just hoped he made a good impression. Taking in a deep breath, he slowly reached out for the knob. Fighting back any fears for the moment, he twisted the handle and opened it.

The room was nothing like he had thought it be. He had imagined it to be a bleary one, filled with only two beds, possibly a desk, and a bathroom. But what he got was a brightly colored room. The walls were a lovely shade of sky blue, accented with a gold lining. There were professionally drawn pictures taped on walls filled with flowers, insects or faces, and a brown oak desk leaning against one side of the wall, above it was a sliding window, away from it. Off to the farther wall were two twin beds which were set across from each other. Dipper stepped forward, not noticing the boy staring at him from the bathroom doorway. He examined the bed, gliding his hand over the soft blue quilt.

“So…where’s my…” He trailed off as he turned around to find the most beautiful sterling emerald eyes he had ever seen. There was a boy standing in a doorway. He was about an inch or two taller Dipper, with creamy flawless skin-except for his millions of freckles that littered his face, neck, and who knows where else as if it was irremovable glitter. He had black unruly hair and a small nose. He wore a white plain t-shirt and long dark blue sweats. The boy wasn’t built, but he was thin, not as thin as him though. Saying nothing, the stranger gave a sweet smile, exposing his straight teeth underneath, “H-hi,” Dipper managed, feeling his face flare up and he had to peel his eyes away from staring way too long at him. But he was surprised that he didn’t hear a reply back, maybe he hadn’t heard him? He looked back at him and worked up his best smile, “Uh…hello,” he repeated, though all the boy did was wave and nod.

“Dipper, this is Terry,” Nicki said, entering the room and motioning for the boy to come out. Terry did so and once again waved, “He’s sort of a mute; he doesn’t talk,” She said, easing the boy’s confusion. Dipper nodded and frowned a bit.

“Was he born with it?” He asked, “S-sorry! Didn’t mean to ask that!” He added quickly, Nicki laughed and Terry smiled in amusement.

“Ah, it’s no worries. Terry doesn’t mind,” She smiled, “To answer your question, it’s a no; he wasn’t born with it. Y’see, there was an incident that happened, and it traumatized Terry so bad that one day, he just…couldn’t talk,” She sighed, feeling sympathy for him, “But, we’re trying to help him get his voice back. He just has to learn to let go of his past. There’s no rush, it has to happen on his own,” Nicki said. Dipper returned his gaze back to Terry, the boy seemed to be happy, but Dipper wanted to know more about him. Like what was that incident? What secrets was Terry hiding? Could he get him talk? He felt his mouth twitch up at the thought of him getting the other to say something.

“Dinner time already?!” Nicki exclaimed, glancing down at her watch and breaking him from his trance. She looked up at both boys, “Well, let’s head on down to the cafeteria, I hear it’s a special meal in your honor,” Nicki winked, making Dipper smile. He watched as Nicki disappeared, taking in the room once more before jumping a bit at a light touch on his arm. He looked to over to see Terry looking at him curiously. He blushed a little, stuttering a bit as he tried find an answer.

“U-uh, I-I’m coming,” He said, Terry smile and held up his hand for him, offering to lead him to the cafeteria. With a tinge of a blush coating his cheeks, Dipper took it and allowed him to be guided away, all the while trying to ignore the strange fluttering in his stomach.

**▻△▽◅**

As soon as Mabel and Stan made it home, the girl wasted no time in jumping out of the car. She was done with this. This was the last straw for her. Whatever it was making Dipper go through _that_ kind of torture better have its last laugh because she was going to destroy whether it was ready or not. She ignored Stan’s calling. Racing up the stairs, she flung the attic room open and began carelessly throwing things around.

“Mabel? Mabel what on earth!” Stan gasped, holding a soda, watching as his niece became a mad woman. But Mabel ignored it, instead tearing through Dipper’s things in hopes to find what she needed.

“It’s in here,” She said, making Stan blink.

“What?”

“ _It’s in here_!” The girl snapped.

“What is?” He asked. She stopped and turned to him.

“The answers! They’re in here!” She cried, and it was then that Stan saw the tears spilling forth from her eyes. She continued rummaging, “He has to have kept something in here! A clue! A book! Maybe even a journal!” She said, turning to face the man again. She was about to say more, but then she paused. Stan became worried.

“Mabel?” He called, she didn’t respond, instead she just continued to stare at him, a vacant look in her eyes. Stan rushed to her, gripping her shoulders and shaking her lightly, “Mabel? Sweetie? Talk to me!” He said, dropping his can and touching her face, “Mabel? Mabel!”

Then, she went limp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Qsd di ulies, yic koqpd qsd vcfjst. Tohhsf’e rsslojqe uiclt vs ehcfjst. Vcd pihsrclly aodp Kwvsl, w lseeij aoll vs lswfjst.
> 
> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) See you Wednesday!


	18. XVIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I want to be with those who know secret things or else alone.
> 
> ― Rainer Maria Rilke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A̟̲̯̣͚͔̻ͯ̊̇̿ ͔̽̾̒͊̃͌b̿o̫̹͉ͣ̓̊ͮ͌o̹̙̪̲ͧ̈́ͬ͆͗ͬk̔ ͓́ͮi̤͚ͅs̼̗̼͓̦̀ͥͥ̏ͪ̀̈́ ̜̱̩̒͒͛s̜̦͚͍̿ͮo̤o͍̻̥͙̬̖ͥn͚̹̲̜ͣ̂͂ͯ̊̒͒ ̜̳͉t̘̻̾̈́oͫͩ̓ ̭̬͍̀be̲̘͍̣̜̊̈́ͥ̀ͦ̐́ ̞̱͉̪̺͔̙ͩ̒̑͆͛̔d̼͚̤̺̠̙͙̈́̓ͣȋ̠̔͒̋̈̇sͭͅͅc͎̺̺̭̘̼ͬͯ̎̾o̿ͬ̓v͙̖͚̺̗e̦̭̖͓͒̔͆̆ͭ̚r̹̻e̤̭̱̯͊d͔̟̦͈̞̳͕́ͥͪ͂̉̚,̥̮̇ ͈̫͔͔̤́͋́̂a̯̖̣̞̟̮̒̈́͂̋̀̿ͬ ͙̺̇̀͛͗͌s̯̪͇̙e̻̣̞̰̺͈ͩ̄ͣ̈́c͉̯̱̙̤ͭ̆͆̃ͦr̰͈̭̬̥̖ͩ͗ͪ́e̥t̹̝͛ ̰̟̘͔̀ͨ́p̤̈́̋̇ͥ̑l̠̬͖͉̑͋̏͗̍̉á͇̠̻ͭ̉̄̓́͛n̪̂̌̓ ͉͇̮͉̫̓͋ͪͥw̮̩̭͔̆ͪ̔̿i̥̪̦̥̹ͮͦĺ̟͔͓͉͎͉͕̓̈́l̝̘̘̪̺̻̒͋̀̌̐ ͑͊ͨ̂̃̓̌b̻ͪ̂͋ͨ̿ͯe̱̱̰͔͇͚ͅ ͊u̬̤̼͈ͬ̅̿̑̄̓ṉ̘́̂̃̉c̾̈́͐̓o̗̤̭̟̮͑̊͂̇̈́v̰͚̩̤͔͈̏́́̉ͥ̃ͅe̲̫̺͈̝͒̇̄̍ͅr͈̘̙̲͓ͭ̅e͖̜͎̜̳̝ͮ͋ḍ͉̮̬̮͎̍ͅ!̍̉̀̾̾̄ 
> 
> ((This is a really short chapter, sorry!))̗̝̬̥
> 
> (Note, slight trigger warning. Nothing major, though some people might be sensitive to a little snippet about one of the characters backgrounds!)

Dinner was surprisingly nice for Dipper. The meal was meatloaf, something that was one of Dipper’s favorite meals and it was good. He had expected the food to taste gross, but apparently it was one of the gold mines here at _Cheerful Smiles_. He scooped up another spoonful of the mashed potatoes that came with it and ate it, surprised by how hungry he actually was. Terry watched him with an intrigued smile and Dipper felt himself blush under his gaze.

“So, wait, you like… _actually_ tried to kill yourself?” Another boy asked. Dipper winced, not liking how it came out so casually from his mouth. The boy was actually different this time than Terry. He was short and a little chubby. Orange-red hair stuck out on his head and bright hazel eyes stared into his. This boy was Spud, or so he was told. He actually had a different name, but he said he preferred Spud more than anything. Spud was sent here along with Terry, the two were best friends and apparently suffered from the same trauma. This only furthered to deepen Dipper’s curiosity and he made a mental note to find out more from Spud about Terry.

“Spud! You can’t just ask that so casually!” Another voice piped up. This one was softer, yet held an underlying serious tone to it. Dipper’s eyes looked towards the other boy-or girl, really. Christopher Banker, or Crystal as she was now dubbed, was a boy, or _was_ once as she had told him. Crystal had explained that she didn’t quite feel right being a boy, she said she felt that she should’ve been born a girl. Since she was little, all Crystal really enjoyed doing was being a girl. She would dress up in her older sister’s clothes and put on makeup, get her nails done whenever her sister took her and since she was home schooled, she was able to grow her hair out a little. When her parents discovered this and she had told them how she truly felt, they were shocked and horrified and refused to accept her decision, claiming she was a boy and that feeling that way was a phase. Torn that she wasn’t able to be who she knew she was deep inside, she turned to drugs and had an accidental OD because of it. Dipper felt horrible for her, and he shuddered to think of what it would be like if his family hadn’t accepted him and pretended that he was nonexistent. Crystal was an overall nice girl, though she was a bit taller than the three boys despite only being thirteen. She had long chocolate brown curls that fell to her shoulders, and the warmest brown eyes Dipper had ever seen. She almost reminded him of his own sister, but he had to burn that thought because it stung to think about his family.

“Oh, you know it was bound to happen, Crys! Don’t act like you weren’t curious!” Spud had countered back, snapping Dipper out of his thoughts. Crystal responded by smacking him on the back of his head.

“Oh shut up! There’s a better way to ask things like that, ya bully!” She said, her British accent leaking out. Dipper laughed at the banter, finding their arguing funny. He felt a leg brush against his and he tensed a bit, looking up to see Terry giving him a smirk as he gestured his head in the two’s direction. He blinked, then looked to them. A sudden thought popped into his head.

“Are you two together?” He asked. That shut them up quickly. They both looked to Dipper as though he had grown two heads and they blushed madly.

“Wha- _us? Together_?!” Crystal began nervously, keeping a nervous lookout for any eavesdropper. Then she looked at Dipper sharply, her eyes narrowed, “Keep it down will ya?” She asked, “Spud doesn’t want people knowing about us, partially because _Cheerful Smiles_ doesn’t really allow patients to date each other,” She said. Dipper nodded before he glanced to the side and noticed Terry covering his mouth and…laughing?

“Wait, did you purposely plan that?” Dipper asked him, gaping when the taller boy nodded in affirmation. Dipper reached over and flicked his forehead, “Jerk!” He grinned, finding himself laughing along with the others at the table.

**▻△▽◅**

Dark orbs opened slowly, wincing at the bright light above them. A small groaned peeped out from their mouth and they shifted in the bed they were in.

“Ah, you’re awake,” A familiar voice said. The eyes snapped open and flickered towards the sound before give a relaxed gaze as they recognized who it was.

“Dr. Stephenson,” A small voice croaked out, sounding tired. The doctor gave a smile and nodded, jotting down something on his clipboard.

“And how are we, Miss Mabel?” He asked, walking over to the girl, “Anything hurting?”

The girl shook her head, “Just my head,” She smiled and raised her hand, pausing as she noticed a tube sticking out of her forearm. She frowned, feeling confused, her mind still trying to clear up the fog. She stared up at the doctor and cleared her throat, “What happened to me?” She asked. Dr. Stephenson gave a small chuckle and put down the clipboard.

“Well, Mabel, you tell me. Your grunkle ran in here like a mad man, saying you just suddenly passed out,” he said. The girl stared in surprise, making the doctor give an amused smile. He walked closer to the bed and leaned slightly over it, “Mabel, have you been getting enough sleep?” He asked. She paused, thinking over her answer.

“No…I haven’t,” She said, and that was the truth. Between all her worry for her brother, she had completely forgotten about her own health, “I guess I’ve just been so worried for Dipper, sleep must’ve slipped from my mind,” She said with a smile. Stephenson chuckled and moved away to check her vitals again.

“You care a lot about your brother?” He asked. She nodded giving a soft smile.

“Yeah, he’s the only one I got,” She said, “He’s the closest friend I’ll ever have.” Stephenson’s eyes flashed with an undefinable expression. He turned to the girl, walking back over to her with a strange look on his face.

“I understand,” He said, “I used to have a sister…she was the only friend I had. Till one day, I made a terrible mistake, and she died,” He said. Mabel gasped and stared up sympathetically at the man. She couldn’t imagine how it must’ve felt being the one to cause your sibling’s death. She felt tears being formed at the thought of her being responsible for Dipper’s death, if he had died.

“What, if I may ask, mistake did you make?” She asked slowly. Stephenson’s lips curled upwards and he towered over the girl, the lack of light on him made his face twist into a creepy look. She gulped leaning further back against the pillow as she could. Red flags began going on in her head and she gave a nervous look, her lips straining a small smile.

“What mistake?” The man repeated, his voice sounding a little bit higher than his normal deep one, “Why it’s the same mistake you’re making now, _Shooting Star_!” He cackled. Mabel froze, Shooting Star…that name, then she noticed his eyes. Those same golden colored eyes that haunted her dreams. She scrambled back, as best as she could, hissing when she felt a sharp sting on her arm.

“Oh my gosh,” She whispered, everything suddenly starting to click. A hand reached to snatch at her, but Mabel gave a loud scream and flung herself off the bed, ignoring the pain in her arm. Bill laughed coldly at her, watching her scramble to her feet and backing away from him, “You’re the one behind everything!” She shouted, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. “Why didn’t I see it before? I should’ve known! I _should’ve know_!” She rasped, grabbing the sides of her head in horror at the realization. Bill stepped forward, using his powers to fling the bed out of his way. The girl squeaked as it slid into the wall, making a loud _thud_ against the surface and cracking it. The demon raised a blue flame engulfed hand.

“Yes, yes you should have,” He grinned wickedly, “too bad your answer came too late,” The demon snarled with a laugh, pointing his index finger and firing at her.

But he missed.

Mabel had jumped out the way just in the nick of time and raced for the door, running out of the room and towards the nearest nurse station. Bill cursed and lowered his arm, staring at the burning hold in the wall. Luckily no one was there, and if they were, he’d have to take care of them. He turned his thoughts back to Mabel, scowling that she had gotten away, but he let her leave, after all she got her warning. Next time, he _wouldn’t_ miss. With a fond smile, he snapped his fingers and the wall repaired itself and he set the bed back into place.

“Next, Shooting Star,” He grinned, “Next time.” But for now, he had to go see his favorite little sapling.

Mabel ran until she managed to run into Stan, who was just going to check on her. He wasn’t expecting to see her crying and running like she was being chased.

“Mabel?” Stan said, hugging her. The girl said nothing, just that she wanted to see Dipper.

**▻△▽◅**

At the Mystery Shack, two people snuck in quietly. They silently raced up the stairs, making sure to keep quiet despite knowing that the whole house was empty.

“Gee, I don’t think we should be doing this…” The older of the two said, his eyes looking around warily. The younger rolled her eyes before opening the attic door.

“Relax, we’re just looking for any clues. Mabel is counting on us to help her,” She said, looking at the older male, “We’re doing this for Dipper.”

Unaware of the eye watching them, they both walked in, preparing to look for the worst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20-8-9-14-7-19 1-18-5 7-15-9-14-7 20-15 7-5-20 8-5-1-20-5-4. 1-14 15-12-4 5-14-5-13-25 23-9-12-12 2-5 14-5-5-4-5-4. 3-1-14 25-15-21 7-21-5-19-19 23-8-15?
> 
> Update- Friday or Saturday ((Since this was short, I'll probably give an early update than I normally do. That depends how much time I have to write!))
> 
> (Side note- OD means Overdose)


	19. XIX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I thought about how there are two types of secrets: the kind you want to keep in, and the kind you don't dare to let out.
> 
> ― Ally Carter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> W̜͊ͦ̚h̥͕̩̘̟͇͋͊ͬ̈́͑̎͆at͔̟̯͓̔̍ͯ̚ ̦̦͔̃͊h̹̰a͍p̣̦p͔̣̩͋͛ͭ̋̚e͈̗͈̼̮͎̜̔̒̆͐͆͌ͤñ͇̳ḙ̈́ͦͫ̽̈́̍d̘̄̈̒ͯ̓̂ ̬́̍̄ͪt̎ͩo͑ͭ̿ ͕̻̿̇ͭͬt̼̖h͍͑͌͛̊̓̿ͫë̳́ͤ̅ͧ́ ̻̈͛͐̋̂͆g̪̞͕͉̣ͧͯi̹̭̞̻̓̔̿ͪͯṟ̑̓ͪ͋l͇̞̲̮̄̔̌͌̉ ̯̤̮̣̹̖͑͒̇w͎͔̥̱ͩͯ̊h̥̗̟̪͔̓̇ͣ̋̈̉o̬͕̻̘̘̥̤ͭ ̲̪̰̠ͩͤg̺̿̆̌̇̿̿̐ô̱̫͕̑̈̚ț̠͙͖̰̺ͅ ͚̤̠̮̐w̪͈̝̺̻͔̄a̬̪̭̺̼̻̱̓̉y̖̪͎̼͊͐̽ ̞̤̊̃̏t͔̱͙͙̗̦͑͛̏o̪̿̐ͥ͒o̘͚̟̬͖̱͖ͮ̓̄ ̭͕̹̇ͦ̄̾ͮ̋́n̙̫̫̮̣͍ỏ͇̻̦̱̩ͯ̅̓ṡ̫̥̠͕̤ÿ͚̗̥̳̹͈̪̂ͥ̽?̤̻̟̰͂̊ͪͅ ͕̎̈́͐ͣ̃̔͛I̬͉̳̝̟͍ͅ ̼̙̼̮͒̐̆̄ͩc̍̓̄ͦa̩̟ͤ͑n͚͈̰͕̰͖̏̈́̒̎ͨ͂’͓̦̙̯̅̅͗ͣ̏t͓̆́́̂ ̟̰͓̩̙̾̊̐̊͂ͭr̠̱̘͊ͭͯͪ̇̽͂e̠̗͈̜̻̦̤m̹̲ͯ̋̊̎̄͌ͮè̯̳͎̙̣͔̒̌̽̆̒m̹̲͚̓͋̿̍̚b̹̻͉͔̠̩̑̓̐̂ͭ̾e̤͈̜̝̜͊̈́́̏ͧr͒͒̽̒,͉̑ ͯ̉ͤ̽̐̓̊b͑̅͒̎̑u̹̹̘̲͓͑̄̌ͯt̗̻ ̯̲̘̄͋͆͒ͣͨ̚Ï͇̣̝̪͎̫̻͋͐̓ t̻̗̻̤̎̃h̦̫̺̜̓ͭͧͭ̎ͭ̒iͩn̥̜̗͉̠̖̍̊ͮͪ̊k͖̠̳͈̗͇͚͌̈̽͛ ͚̲̿̓ͭͮ͊ͫ̚p͇̦̯͓̙͈͗̏̎̓̅ͤͤͅá̋ͩ͋̀ͭ̎r̮͚̲͌ͥ͒̉ͦt̙̣͖̫̪̃ͯ́ ̼̳͐o̗͍̠̺̺͇fͪͨ͋ ̪̈́ͮ͐̀̚h̺̮̝̫e͉͔̩̝̠̘͆̽r̜̰̠͇͈̅͑ͮ̉̈́ ̹̰̘̹̝̊́ͭb̭̗̽̒ǒ̹̜ͥ͆̃̚d̦̿͗̐͐y̝̹̝͍͔̔ͤ̾ ̲̬͙̥͚̍ͭ̃̃i͖̪͂ͮs͓̘̳̰͔̄ͧͯ ̋̀̋̋i̪̬̩̻͕͖̗̅ͩṋ͔͈̠̖̳̲ͨ ̳̎ͥͭ̈͗̈̚a̦̼̫̻͊̽̊̓̂n̲͛͐̇̓͂ŏ̩͊̌̅̃t̫̜̮̞͎͆ͫ̒h̤͎̐eͣ́r͋̿ͫ ̪ͮ̄ͩ͐̇d̻̥̮̰̖ï͙̭̯͍̇͊͊͐͗m͕̹͕̙̱̖ͪͅe̱n̞̥s̗̭ǐ̫̻̭̮ͭͫ͊̊o͓̙͚͈ͧ̎ͥṇ̞ͩ̎̓ͨ!͈̮̖̼͕͍͖̾ͤ͋͗

Mabel sat restlessly on the bed, allowing the doctor to stabilize her. She had requested a new doctor, not even giving them or Stephenson an answer as to why. And who would believe her anyway? Not Dr. Stephenson who most definitely doesn’t remember his possession. That much had been clear when Mabel was yelling at him for being evil. Everyone, including Stan had thought she was crazy for the moment.

The girl blinked from her daze and laid back down on the bed under the covers as her new doctor instructed. This time, it was a girl. A short, dark lady with purple colored contacts and thick straight hair that was tied back in a messy ponytail.

“Alright, hun, try not to move and just relax. Your body needs to recover the sleep you lost. These I.V bags are filled with nutrients that’ll help you gain back the electrolytes ya lost,” She smiled, showing off her crooked teeth. Mabel gave a strained smile. The lady was nice enough, but she had a funky smell that was a mixture of some sweet smelling perfume and cigarette smoke. Once she was done making Mabel comfortable, she left and allowed Stan to come inside, this time, joined in by Wendy and Soos. Mabel perked up and would’ve run up to hug them, but the lady had been serious about her staying in bed. Plus, she really didn’t want them to have to insert the needle again into her vein. She shuddered at that memory. Wendy and Soos smiled at her before walking over.

“Mabel, how are ya?” Soos asked, “We were so worried about ya dude! We heard about Dipper, and we’re sorry. But don’t worry, he’ll get better. He’s a tough dude,” The man comforted and it brought a genuine smile to the girl’s face. Wendy stepped forward and ruffled her hair.

“Yeah, I hope that’s not why you were sent here,” She teased lightly. Mabel glanced down and noticed that Wendy held a plastic bag. She blinked curiously and stared at it.

“What’s that?” She asked. Soos and Wendy both shared a look. Stan remained silent, only watching. Wendy had shared what was in the bag, but she hadn’t let him touch it. She said that since it was Dipper’s he would probably only want Mabel to read it, especially since it was assigned specifically for her. The red head handed the bag over to her and Mabel took it, pulling out a black composition book.

“Dipper’s journal,” She said, looking up at Soos and Wendy, “Where did you get this?” She asked. The two looked at each unsurely and glanced at Stan.

“We…might’ve snuck into your guys’ room…we found it in a pile of your sweaters,” Wendy clarified. Mabel’s eyes widened and she sat upright, staring at all of them.

“My sweaters?!” She gaped, “The book that fell from the shelf!” She said, remembering that there had been another book that had fallen when she was picking out the journal from the shelf. She looked at it and glided her hand along the cover. The answers were in here. She finally had something of Dipper's that could explain everything. She knew that Bill was involved, but she had to know why. What was the demon’s game plan? “Can you guys leave, please?” She asked, staring at the three of with imploring eyes, “I-I need to read this alone. Whatever Dipper wrote down, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want a gazillion eyes looking over it,” She said.

“Are you sure?” Stan piped up, standing at the edge of the bed, “We can help,” He said, hoping that Mabel would let him. But the girl was adamant about being alone. She shook her head and sighed.

“No…I’m his sister, it’s my job to help him,” She said firmly. The three nodded in unison, all of them shuffling out of the room. Stan turned back to her.

“Yell if you need us,” He said before leaving. Mabel watched, taking in a deep breath as she opened to a random page and read.

**▻△▽◅**

Dipper tossed and turned in his bed that night, memories and nightmares combined together and gave him chilling terrors. He gripped the bedsheets tightly, crying out and whimpering. Laughter circled around him, hands roamed all over him. Water seemed to fill the room and there was so much _blood_.

_No escape! No escape! No escape!_

Words repeated around his head and he could feel something trying to break free, trying to get out. Distorted laughter plagued his mind and he felt as though he was drowning. Something was coming.

_You can’t stop us…ca-can’t…s…ming…or…YOU!_

Dipper woke with a gasp, sitting up in bed and panting heavily. He was drenched in sweat and shaking. He looked around, it was dark. He searched for a clock, but he knew he didn’t need to even look. It was six. Always six. Even his room number was six! He took in deep breaths and brought his knees against his chest, laying his head on top and closing his eyes. _Breathe_ , he thought to himself, _just breathe_.

There was a shuffle from the other side of the room and it caught his attention. He glanced up and saw Terry, sleeping so peacefully. He longed to be in his position, to be able to sleep soundly without any interruptions. He fell back against the bed, his breathing returning back to normal.

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” A voice whispered in his ears. The boy bit his tongue to prevent himself from screaming and jumbled back, swallowing down the metallic liquid that had already gathered in his mouth. Dipper looked into the haunting eyes that belonged to the creature of his nightmares.

“W-what do you want?” He whispered, trying to keep a good distance from him and Bill, though it was hard considering there was a wall behind him that was preventing that. Bill clucked his tongue and gave a sneering look.

“Aw, is that any way to talk to Daddy~?” The demon cooed. Dipper scowled, trying to get himself to stop trembling.

“You are _not_ my daddy,” He spat, but it was a weak attempt. The fear inside of him was building and it had awoken his anxiety. Bill didn’t seem to care since he took a good look around. He stuck his tongue out and made a look of disgust.

“Yeek! This place reeks of innocence,” He said with a cringe of distaste, “It’s not even as nice as your attic, but hey, I guess we’ll make it work,” He said and Dipper felt his heart sink down. Why couldn’t Bill just leave him alone already?

“Why can’t you just go away?” He cried out. But Bill ignored him, rolling his eyes at the boy’s tears. He yawned, exposing his sharp teeth and long tongue.

“Oh stop your crying, already,” He said, “it’s boring and annoying,” He let out a puff of air quickly and stretched the bones in his body, it was then that he took notice of Terry. The boy was lying peacefully in bed and he quirked an eyebrow, “This your new friend?” Bill snickered.

“Leave him alone,” Dipper said, getting out of bed to get the demon away from Terry. Bill stepped back with an unimpressed gaze.

“Geez, fine. I won’t touch your _boyfriend_ ,” he scoffed. Dipper blushed darkly and looked away.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” He muttered, but before he could look back up Bill, the demon had already pulled him towards him. He tensed as he felt his hands slide up and down his body, spurring his heart beat to pick up, and not in the good way. Bill chuckled.

“Of course he isn’t,” Bill chided, “He’d never even touch you if he knew what you’ve been doing,” The demon slipped his hands under Dipper’s white shirt, and he smirked at the small hiss the boy let out as his fingers glided over his already hardening nipples. Dipper whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt his body already reacting to the demon’s cold touches.

“Aw, how cute,” Bill sneered, “Your body remembers me,” He chuckled into his ear, biting the shell of his ear. Dipper struggled to get away from him, feeling the sense of being trapped again overtake him. He whimpered softly, trying to get away from him.

“S-stop…” He pleaded, knowing it was a weak attempt. Bill chuckled again, biting the shell of his ear and smirking in satisfaction when he heard the boy’s breathing hitch.

“I see someone got his fight back,” Bill grinned, spinning around and tossing Dipper onto his bed, “It’s going to be a riot breaking this one,” The demon beamed, pinning him down. The demon pursed his lips and snapped his fingers, keeping the boy flat against the bed, “Hmm…what to do, what to do?” He teased, circling a single finger along the boy’s exposed neck, “I could make you suck me, that’s always a blast!” He laughed, “Or I could grind you slowly until I get you to beg for me, that one’s always a killer,” he smirked, “Although, pounding you into oblivion is one of my _personal_ favorites!”

Dipper trembled underneath him, keeping his mouth shut as the demon above him was making his selection. His bottom lip quivered and he silently prayed to whoever was listening for a distraction.

“Please god…” He whispered to himself, “…please…” Bill heard his words and he paused, then slowly, very slowly, a smile began to form.

“Oh, Pine Tree,” he laughed, “In here, with _me_ , there is no _God_ ,” He snarled. Then, without so much as skipping a heartbeat, Bill nearly tore off his clothes, exposing his lower torso. He grinned wickedly, pressing his lips down and biting against his neck, nearly breaking the skin. Dipper cried out, hands flying upwards to grip onto the demon as he tried to push him away. Bill’s grin grew at this, as if his mouth had no limit, and he pulled away from his neck, to continue his rampant assault down his body.

“B-Bill, _please_ ,” Dipper all but begged, hating the stings of the bites and the claws that were digging into his thin hips. The demon pulled away, looking down at the panting boy. Tears were sliding down his cheeks, his eyes staring up into his own. It brought a sort of sick satisfaction to Bill, seeing the boy all hot and disarrayed. It was a true delight.

“My how you’ve changed,” The demon cooed in a sweet voice, “Compared to the brat who was so curious to know everything, now you want to know nothing,” Bill smirked. Dipper swallowed, feeling something stir in him and he suddenly felt angry.

“Not true,” he rasped, “I want to know how to defeat you!” He bit back. Bill stared at him, clearly not expecting him to reply. But he didn’t mind, it actually felt great to know that he was getting such spirit from Dipper. He leaned in close to the boy, their noses inches apart and his golden eye glowing with a strange emotion that Dipper was very familiar with.

“You _can’t_ ‘defeat’ _me_ , Pine Tree,” Bill cackled, “I’m not some nightmare that you can lock up and forget about. I’m here to stay. And even if you _did_ manage to somehow manage to do that, how long do you think that’ll last? Because it won’t be forever, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Bill gleamed, his hand trailing down the member he had grown so accustomed to, “Y’know, I think I’ve found my answer…” The demon added, “I’m gonna pound you into oblivion,” he grinned.

And the next thing Dipper knew was harsh, stinging pain.

**▻△▽◅**

**_Dipper’s Entry #14_ **

_Another day has gone by…and Bill’s nightly activity has been going on for a while now. I’ve made…a horrible mistake. I hit Mabel. Something that I never thought in a million years I would do. I mean, what kind of person does that make me? I promised I wouldn’t hurt her, I swore!_

Mabel stared at the pages that shared all that had happened to her brother. It was horrifying. The things Bill made him do…it made her cringe and shudder at thought. She felt horrible for him, and it was all her fault. All because of that rabbit she found. She knew that Dipper was always so protective of her, and to know that he’d even go as far as to sell his innocence, it was tear jerking. She wiped her eyes, flipping again through the pages. His words seemed to echo around her head, plaguing her with the worst kind of feeling.

“Oh, Dipper,” She sniffled, “Why couldn’t you have just told me? We could’ve stopped it,” She whispered. She was about to close the book and go back to the thinking board, when a certain entry caught her attention. The paper was folded so tightly inside against the spine of the book that it nearly escaped her sight. She opened the book all the way and began unfolding the paper, eyes widening at what she saw. The paper seemed to be stained with dried tear drops and some of the pen was smudged as though it was written with a shaky hand.

**_Dipper’s Final Entry (Maybe…)_ **

_ Mabel, this is for you to read only. _

_Things have progressed for the worse…I feel dead inside. I’m running out of ways to keep it up. But I think I’ve found a solution…of course, if I’m lucky enough to get away with it. But, if not, and if I’m still here, then I know something about Bill, though I can’t say it here, it’d be too risky. Especially if Bill ever found this. Mabel, if you find this-which I’m pretty sure you will-I need you to go searching for me. I found a spell…it’s powerful from what I’ve learned, but I can’t do this alone._

_You see, I had been searching for ways to stop, Bill. But every time I did, he’d catch me and beat me for it. But one day, the day before my accident-assuming I’m still alive-I found something in the journal. You wouldn’t believe how useful the black light is! But the spell I discovered takes time, and sadly that is a luxury I don’t have._

_Bill is planning something Mabel, and whatever it is, he has to use me for it._

_Use this clue to find the spell:_

_WO JO JVY NRCAY GVYLY UJ CRR KJCLJYZ._

_Remember what I taught you about codes? Well this has two of them. Figure it out soon and hurry! Something big is coming soon…_

_Go Mystery Twins!_

The entry was finished by a drawing of a happy Dipper and her surrounded by confetti. Mabel gaped, but she couldn’t think. Her head was spinning. Dipper had actually trusted her to do this! He had actually put in enough faith in her to allow her to help him. She did a double take and re-read over the lines, making sure this wasn’t an illusion or a trick of the mind. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and opened them, but the words remained and she didn’t know whether to cry or feel elated. She had her answer! She knew what to do! She ripped out the paper and slammed the book shut, throwing her hands in the air and squealing for joy.

Unfortunately that squeal brought on the alertness of Stan, Wendy, and Soos. They all bursted into the room, making her jump in surprise.

“Ack!” She shouted, clinging the paper close to her chest. But the faces of her family had her sighing with relief and smiling.

“What’s wrong? We heard you scream,” Stan said, rushing to her side. He felt her head, checking for any wounds. The girl laughed sheepishly and gently waved him off.

“Ah, uh…I was just excited about something,” She said, her cheeks turning red as she gave an awkward chuckle. The three stared at her with worry before noticing the paper she was holding.

“What’s that?” Wendy asked, Mabel pursed her lips and looked at the paper she was motioning to.

“Just a heartfelt message to me from Dipper,” She said, then she looked to Grunkle Stan, “Any chance of me visiting Dipper today?” She asked, assuming that morning had already come considering she had blacked out late at night. Stan shrugged and smiled.

“Sure, I’m positive he’d love to see you and tell you all about his first day,” The old man replied. Mabel grinned and laughed when he ruffled her hair.

“Good, so…can I go home now?” She asked. She was feeling antsy and she wanted desperately to solve the code. But she needed the journal for that. But Stan only shook his head and sighed.

“I wish,” he grumbled, “I’m sick of hospitals, aren’t you?” He asked, earning a smile from Mabel, “Sadly though, the nurse says they want to keep you for a few more hours, just to make sure everything checks out okay, I guess,” He shrugged.

“So was the journal helpful?” Wendy asked, looking at the discarded book.

“Yes! Thanks for bringing it,” The girl replied, “but can you do something for me?”

“Yeah, sure,” Wendy smiled, “What is it?”

“Can you please take this book and burn it!” Mabel said, glowering at the composition book.

“Wait what?” Stan said, quirking an eyebrow.

“Burn it! Burn it!” The girl bellowed.

“But…it’s Dipper’s journal,” Soos went on, still puzzled by Mabel’s insistency for burning the book. The twelve year frowned and pushed it away from her.

“I know it’s his journal, but it’s not needed anymore. It’s just bad memories that aren’t needed,” She grumbled. Neither one of the trio said a word, rather they just nodded in agreement and promised to take care of the journal. Mabel sighed and sank back in her bed.

_Don’t worry, Dipper. Your nightmare is coming to an end._ She smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pia kwjy upihe tise od dwms di mjium tiaj w Hojs Dfss? O'll qobs yic dpfss qcseese...
> 
> H̶̛ą̴̸̡̀h͞͏a҉̀̀!̷̕͝͡ ̴̨̡̀͜I҉̵̨͠͡t̕͏'̧s̴͝ ̴̕f̷̢͟u̸̵͟ń̷́n̶̨̡͠y̛҉ ̡́͡͞h̷̢͜͞͡o͏̸ẃ̡̀ ҉̨̀͡d̶̀̕͜u̕͠҉̶͘m̴̵b̷̢͠ ̸͝t̷̕͟͜͢h̶̢͢e̶͡͞y̷̧̧͟ ̡̀͞á̕͘r̸̨̢͜͝e̵͡҉́!̸̕͠


	20. XX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, the biggest secrets you can only tell a stranger.
> 
> ― Michelle Hodkin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ḍ̗̥̰ͪͥͩ̚i̱̣ͬp̳̹͚̭̬̅̿̄p͚̟ͬ͒͊ͫ̋e̦͚͕̭̟͊̈́̊͊ͨ̑̔r̰̙̝͆ͬ̿͛ͤ͂͛ ͥ͑͛͊h̲̲̃ͥ́ͫ̿ͬͅí͐d́̍̈́ͧ ̯̹͌̍ͣ͑͂s̳̣͎̠̔ͧͪ͛ͥ̿ͅoͥ̌̇̃̒m̺͕ͫ́̈́̍͛̇ë̱̜̩̬́͐͗̓̀͐͊t̺̭̗̭̅̓͋̂͌ͦh̗ͨ͊̐ͫ̚ȋ̖͎̩̹̝̣̱͌ͭ̎̐n͎̪͉̝͉̟̓ͅg̟̲̦̥̩̗͈ ̦͓̗ị͚̖͇n͍̥͙̩̠̗̼̎͐̿͐ ̳̘͙̪ͣ̈́́ͭ̆̌̈́ȧ̜̹̦̤́̋͛ͅ ̣̟͎̟͕͇̞͑̌̆̂ͣš̠͈̠̠̮̈͗̌a̟̥ͬ͂͆͐̌̍f̥̹͖̦́̄̇̏e̻̗̤̾͆͒ͨ̃ ͖̮͇͓̯a͋̔͂͒̾̃n̫̰̔̂͐̚d̟ ͈̭͚̭̮͑̂̐ͧ̿̚gͣ̃̒͂͌a̘̺͔͔̒ͅv̂̅ͭͧͪ̈́ẹ̦͈̣̀̓ͩͨͤ͊ͬ ͚ͧ̋ͤ̑̇̽ͥi͙̞̩̇̾t̤̑̀͌̊̅ ̹̭͚͖̗͉̿̐ͧͯt̮̙̅ͮͬ̀͂̂oͧ͛ ̪͕͙͆ͧ͌ͮ̇sͭͪͯͧͩ̆o̬ṁ̰͖̯̣͙͂̿̏̍̓e͚͕̬͍̋̐͗ͫó͍̙̮̼͌͗͒̆n͍͋̽̚e̪̫̼͗̔͗̂̍̾ ̝̼͔͐͗ͦ̄͐̚h͍̪̼ͫ̋ͭͧ͐ë̻̯̣̬̹̳͍́̐͛ ̟̤̼̓ͮu͙͈̟̗͎͉̠̔̈́̏͆̔̿ṭ̋͂͋͛̂̂t͚̙̥̻̯̼ͬȅ͙̤ͮ̒̀ͬ̚̚ȑ̟̗̺̯̹̋ͤ̾ͦͯl̜͈̰̥̯̑̏̃ͥͣ̇y̗̣͇̩̩̗͚̔͋ͦͩͣ ̱̩͚͖͖ͤͭ͐͋̚h̜͚̀̉a̮̦ͧt͈̠̭̙̻̮ͧ̓̿ͮͪͩ̔ͅẹ̪̜͗ͬͥ͂̈ͣs͉͖̿.̌ͩ̓

Group therapy session is possibly the worst thing that Dipper could’ve ever encountered. Whoever thought that sitting in a circle amongst strangers and spilling your secrets is helpful was stupid. Dipper sat in his seat as best as he could. His backside and rear were thoroughly sore and he had never wished so much as he did now for a pill to ease the excruciating pain running through him.

He tried not to wince as he leaned his back against the chair, the surface pressing down on some new bruises and gashes. He watched as one by one a few other people walked in, Terry among some of them. When they both made eye contact, Terry immediately pushed his way through the other patients. The two had been separate since breakfast due to Dipper scampering off to the library for some peace and quiet. Though it was hard to walk around without limping in anyway.

_Damn you, Bill_ , Dipper thought bitterly, and he felt a small burn on the back of his neck. He gave a small hiss, alerting Terry who had already sat down beside him. The boy tapped his shoulders, making Dipper straighten his back with alertness. Terry held his hands up, signaling he meant no harm. The twelve year gave a small sigh and chuckled sheepishly.

“Sorry…guess I’m just anxious,” he puffed out, breathing out through his nose quickly. He rubbed his hands together, fidgeting slightly as Terry began to write down on a notebook that other hadn’t noticed before.

_You don’t have to be nervous, we won’t bite_.

Dipper blinked at the words before working up a smile, “You had a notebook this whole time and yet you didn’t share,” He teased, Terry simply gave a knowing smile before nudging the notebook at him. He sighed and looked down, “I know…I just…I’ve never done this before and I don’t quite feel comfortable talking about my feelings with others,” He said, cringing a bit at knowing that that was to be expected. Terry nodded in understanding before the sound of pencil moving against paper started up again.

_No worries, I get it. First timers are always a pain in the you-know-what. But it’ll get easier. After all, ya got me! I’m with you every step of the way!_

Dipper almost felt like crying. It was nice to have someone he could depend on here. He looked back up, smiling at Terry before blushing at the close proximity they had ended up in. He leaned back a little, his whole face redder than a tomato.

“G’morning class,” A chirpy voice sang. Dipper managed to clear his head enough to look up. A short, plump man had walked inside the room. Dressed in a white dress shirt and pants. He had dark curly hair and black eyes. The man sniffed a bit before taking a seat in the only empty chair at the front, “Alright, so today we have a new friend with us!” The man grinned, his eyes twinkling as he looked at Dipper, “I’m Dr. Peri.” Dipper gulped as he felt eight pairs of eyes on him, making him shift uncomfortable.

“H…hi…” he said awkwardly, flashing a lopsided smile as he tried to remain calm. Someone nudged him softly and he turned to see Terry giving him another one of his infamous reassuring smile. Dipper did his best to return it, but the eyes on him felt like a hole was being burned into his body. That brought an unwillingly memory of his first encounter with Bill in the dreamscape, when the demon had shot a laser and left him with a circle in his chest.

“So, Dipper, care to tell us about yourself?” The man asked. Dipper looked around, his eyes skimming over the half dazed, half annoyed, and half asleep stares. He shivered, clearing his throat before trying to find his voice.

“I-I um, I’m Dopper,” He flushed, his face turning bright red before he shook his head, “I-I mean _Dipper_! My name’s Dipper,” he clarified, trying to ignore the snickering gazes. He glanced to the side to see if Terry was smiling, but the boy only gave him a comforting gaze, “I’m twelve years old and uh, I tried to k-kill myself,” he breathed out, trying to ignore the sting the word brought it. He hated saying that, it was like a mouthful of junk being forced into his mouth. It was horrible.

“Well, I’m glad you’re still here with us,” Dr. Peri said, “We lose so many precious teens due to suicide, it’s sad. You have so much potential,” The man continued, “As I’ve told the class, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. You could die, but at one point or another, and as the year goes by, people tend to move on. They’ll continue on with their lives, but you won’t. The only thing growing will be the grass over your grave,” he sighed, “I know it sounds mean, but that’s the truth. You need to see that you have a chance for a better life, but if you end it right before things can get better, then what’ll that achieve?”

“It’ll achieve nothing…” Came a small shrouded voice. All eyes turned away from Dipper to another patient, a young girl it seemed. The girl had dark ice-blue eyes that seemed to be enclosed with darkness. Her skin was pale and smooth, making her look like a vampire. She was thin and frail, and she the rehabilitation’s required clothing looked like she was swimming in it. She looked up and made eye contact with Dipper, her dark eyes sending a cold chill down Dipper’s spine, “It’s sad isn’t it?” She asked him, “How quick and easy people can move on. They care for a minute, then ship you off to this hellhole.”

“Now, now, Veronica, you know that’s not what happens,” Peri said, frowning at the child. The girl, Veronica, scoffed and rolled her piercing icicle eyes.

“To you, that’s probably how it seems. But for me, _my_ family, it’s all about reputation. They stuffed me up in here so that no one would talk about how their _precious_ fifteen year old daughter chugged down nearly a whole bottle of Ambien,” She growled. Dipper blinked in surprise at how straight forward Veronica was. She seemed to hold an air around her that said she didn’t give a hoot about anything anymore and if you want to start a problem with her, throw the first punch. Needless to say, Dipper wasn’t going to be throwing any punches in her direction. Though her tale sent a jolt of sympathy to his heart. She must’ve seen the look in his eyes because her face darkened and she scowled, “I don’t need your stupid pity,” She hissed at him.

Dr. Peri must’ve seen how bad this situation was going because he clapped his hands together and flashed his biggest smile, “Alright, c’mon, settle down,” He chortled, “We’re _all_ friends here,” He turned back to Dipper, right as the boy was shaking off the look of shock on his face. Veronica was a fireball for sure, but he wondered what could’ve caused her to become so closed up. It seemed that many of the patients here had their own awful story to tell, and he wondered if his situation really was as bad as theirs.

“Dipper, would you like to share your story with us?” Dr. Peri asked meekly, his eyes boring into his with a soft gaze. There was something hidden underneath it that made Dipper tense with caution. Was he imagining the look in the doctor’s eyes because of his anxiety or was Dr. Peri another untrustworthy person, like Stephenson? He swallowed and cleared his throat.

“If it’s all the same with you,” he began, “I’d rather not share today…” Dr. Peri gave a small smile, but it was slowly slipping.

“Are you sure, kiddo?” He asked, “Sometimes talking about it helps to alleviate some of the stress of staying quiet for so long.”

“But in your case, it may just end up killing everyone in this room,” A new voice whispered in his ear, making his body stiffen up, “That’s actually not so bad…I’d rather enjoy watching them scream.” Dipper shivered, trying to stay calm despite the evil being whispering to him.

“I-I’d really rather not t-talk,” He gulped, edging away from the back of the chair, but Bill’s sharp nails dug into both his shoulders, pinning him back against his seat. Dipper almost wanted to scream at everyone. Why couldn’t they see what was happening? The boy knew why of course _why_ they couldn’t see Bill or his actions, and why they most certainly couldn’t hear him. Not unless they were wearing that cursed mark of his.

“Well I suppose that’s fine, we can always try again tomorrow-”

“G-GAH!” Dipper yelled out, standing up from his chair. Bill had bitten him on the back of his shoulder, _hard_. His hand flew up to the new wound that was throbbing underneath his touch. Everyone looked spooked and stared at him with alarm. Even Terry, who had stood up abruptly, looked startled out of his wits. Dipper breathed heavily, face pale and eyes wide. He looked around at everyone until his eyes connected with Veronica’s. For a moment the girl’s cold eyes cleared and showed the tiniest bit of sympathy towards him, but he looked away and walked away from the group.

“D-Dipper, what’s wrong? Don’t go,” Dr. Peri said, but the boy was still walking backwards, his hand reaching for the knob while his other remained at his shoulder.

“I-I have to go pee!” he said, his voice sounding really loud to him, “R-really bad!” And without so much as waiting for their response, he turned around and flung the door wide open. He ran as quickly as his legs could carry him and practically threw himself inside the nearest bathroom. He locked the door behind him, thanking whoever was there that it was a single person restroom. He leaned against the door, panting before sinking to the floor.

A loud burst of laughter filled the room as Bill materialized inside, grasping his sides as he fell over and laughed, “O-oh, _oh!_ ” He wheezed, “That was hi-lar-ious, Pine tree!” The demon cackled, taking in breaths as he tried to stifle his ever growing laughter. Dipper blushed furiously and stood up, moving to the mirror and pulling down the back of his shirt. He looked at his reflection and sucked in a breath at the red, bruising bite wound glaring back at him.

“Why did you do that?” The boy asked, covering the wound and turning around to face the other. Bill smiled.

“Because I can,” He said as though it was the most obvious answer. Dipper shook his head and turned away.

“How can you be so cruel? Don’t you have feelings?” He snapped. Bill quirked an eyebrow and leaned against the white tiled wall.

“Feelings?” he scoffed, “Since when have I ever cared for feelings? I don’t care what happens to you. I can tease, poke, and prod you all I like. You belong to _me_ Dipper, you made the deal and now I own you!” he smirked. Dipper sputtered, turning to face him.

“Why are you making this so difficult?” He groaned in exasperation, he was getting tired of the stupid games the demon was playing with him, “You tell me to keep this all a secret, but then you go and pull stunts like that! How am I supposed to keep quiet?” He asked at him. Bill pushed himself away from the wall and walked towards him. His eye was narrowed and he was glowing a slight red color.

“I already told you, it’s because I _can_ ,” The demon whispered lowly, “I can do whatever I want with you and you have no say in it. I can torture you, I can beat you to a bloody pulp, I can make you scream, I can even kill everyone around you and make it look like your fault, and it’s all because I _can_ ,” He sneered darkly, leaning in close. Dipper leaned away from him, his back pressing against the sink uncomfortably, “And as for keeping it quiet, _that’s_ your job. I don’t care how you do it, it’s nothing for me to worry about. Besides, even if you do spill your heart out, I can just do away with everyone who knows.”

“Then what about my sister? And Grunkle Stan?”

“Oh, don’t worry. Mabel got her lesson. Next time, she’s as good as dead,” Bill huffed, his eye flashing a deep red, “As for the old man, well, he’ll be too caught up in the mistakes of his past to care,” The demon sniffed, “Don’t look so down, Pine Tree, at least you won’t have them worrying over you,” He smiled, moving to wrap his arms around the boy, but someone had knocked on the door and Dipper nearly sighed with relief.

“Hey,” A cold voice said, “Pines.”

The sharp tone of it made Dipper scurry past Bill and open the door. He expected some nurse or authority figure to be there, but instead it was that girl, Veronica. He blinked in surprise, ready to open his mouth, but she stopped him by storming her way past him and into the restroom. She folded her arms over her chest and stared at him expectantly.

“Well?” She spoke, her voice masked by annoyance, but there was a softer tone hidden underneath it. Dipper pressed his lips together in a straight line and looked around. He glanced at the demon who looked at him with a smug look, as if daring him to say what he wanted.

“W-what?” The boy said, feigning dumb. Veronica rolled her eyes and scowled, walking up to him and gripping him by the shirt of his collar, she pulled him up to meet her eyes. Dipper let out a small squeak as he felt his feet no longer touching the ground, was the girl really that tall?

“Don’t play stupid with me, _blockhead_ ,” She hissed, “I know something happened in that room, whether it be a memory or a trigger word, or _something_ ,” She said, putting him down on the ground, “But no one just screams out of the blue for no reason, so, I’m here to help you talk about it, or be your shoulder to cry on, or whatever,” She grumbled. Dipper blinked as he felt the ground beneath his feet once more, he honestly felt relieved, but was more than shocked at the random act of kindness from the girl.

“Why do you care?” He found himself asking, “ _Ow_!” He cried, rubbing the back of the head where she had swatted him. He frowned at her, scooting back a little, “What was that for?” He grumbled. Veronica rolled her eyes and sighed, glancing at the mirror and fixing her straight black hair.

“I _care_ because you’re new,” She muttered, looking at him from the mirror. The vampire-like girl stared at him with a strange look before moving away from the glass. If it wasn’t for her reflection, Dipper most likely would’ve thought she was a vampire. A beautiful, but scary, vampire.

“What does that mean?” He ducked before her hand could swat him again and she flashed a small toothy grin.

“Fast learner,” She mused, “Anyways, I’m being nice because you remind me of me when I first came here,” Veronica circled around him as if she were about to pounce on prey. He swallowed, “When I was brought here, it was against my will. My parents shipped me off here because they were too busy with their perfect lives to care for mine. The only time they would ever look my way was in there was something about me going about town that they didn’t like,” She growled. Dipper could see the hurt that clouded her eyes and he wanted to reach out for her, but as soon as it was there, it vanished and the coldness seeped back in once more.

“If I may ask,” he began hesitantly, “Why were you brought here?” Veronica said nothing, but then she gave a small smirk to him.

“Tell you what, find in the library and we’ll talk. You tell me your secret, I’ll tell you mine,” She said, holding her hand out for him to shake. Dipper swallowed before slowly reaching his own.

“Deal,” He said. Veronica gave it a firm shake and smiled.

“Alright then, let’s go back,” She said, exiting the bathroom silently. Dipper stared after her, wondering just what on earth he was going to do now.

“She’s a feisty one, aye Pine Tree?” Bill said. Dipper jumped, eyes wide as he turned around, he had forgotten that Bill was still there.

**▻△▽◅**

As soon as Mabel was able to go, Stan and her quickly left. They were currently at the shack, apparently visiting hours weren’t open on Wednesdays because that was ‘ _Therapy_ _Day_ ’ and they refused to have distractions for the patients. Upon hearing that, Mabel took it as a sign to start cracking the code. Using the journal, she was able to see that it was an Atbash Cipher and Caesar Cipher. She wrote down the last latter and smiled at what she uncovered, before her face quickly turned to confusion.

_WO JO JVY NRCAY GVYLY UJ CRR KJCLJYZ_ , translated to, GO TO THE PLACE WHERE IT ALL STARTED _._

“Where it all started?” She murmured, placing down the pencil and leaning back in her chair. What did that mean? The place where he found the journal, or the place where they almost died by the rabbit? She twisted a strand of her hair around her fingers and bit her lip nervously. What did Dipper mean? Mabel sighed and slumped, “Great, more searching,” She muttered.

Jumping out of her seat, Mabel retreated upstairs to get her backpack and filling it with things she might need. The note, journal, and of course, her grappling hook. Satisfied, she told Stan she was going out and left, heading off into the woods. She was going to go where she and Dipper had encountered the rabbit, but a part of her said that that wasn’t the place. She knew if that was where Dipper had made the deal with the Bill that there was no way on earth he’d put the spell where the demon could find it. So instead, she headed to the area where her brother had found the journal. She spent a good thirty minutes walking, her legs sore and her body sweaty. She felt gross, but she knew it was for a good cause. No matter how disgusting her back felt. With the sun beating down on her, Mabel made it to the clearing. Hopping over the log, she searched around for the tree that her brother had found the control pad in. There were four trees, but one of them was not like the rest. Walking up to the first one, she circled it, knocking gently on it and kicking it.

“Nope, you’re just a regular tree,” She said, moving to the next one. Just as before, it was normal. She moved on to the third and tried it, but it sounded the same. Thinking it was the fourth, she knocked on it hard, but yelled at the rough bark that scraped her instead. She frowned, looking over the trees and huffing, “Which one is it?!” She growled. Mabel removed her backpack and throw it one of the trees in frustration. Just as she was about to plop down, the tree let out a loud, hollow _clank!_ A small, window like door slowly creaked open and Mabel ran for it, fully opening it and smiling at the switches. Pursing her lips, she tried each one until a door behind her squeaked open with a groan, as though the gears needed a good oiling. She smiled and walked forward. Inside the compartment, she found an old stained paper. She pulled it out and looked it over, sure enough, there was a spell on it. It was a short one, but the more she read downwards, the more she realized it was missing the rest of it. She looked around to see if she had dropped it, but there was no other.

“No, no don’t tell me,” She said, staring at the half torn page, where was the other half? “Dipper, why did you have to make this complicated?” She groaned, standing up and dusting herself off. She closed the compartment and the tree’s small window-like door. The area looked just like it was part of the forest again and she huffed.

She’d have to wait until she saw Dipper to get the rest of the spell, then they would be able to stop Bill once and for all!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5-22-5-14 20-8-15-21-7-8 8-5 1-3-20-19 18-5-1-12 20-15-21-7-8, 2-9-12-12 3-9-16-8-5-18’19 1-3-20 9-19 1-12-12 2-12-21-6-6. 6-15-18 9-6 20-8-5 19-16-5-12-12 9-19 18-5-4-9-19-3-15-22-5-18-5-4 5-22-5-18-25-20-8-9-14-7 8-5 23-15-18-11-5-4 6-15-18 23-9-12-12 2-5 19-21-14-4-5-18-5-4. 
> 
> ((Wooo doggy, this one's pretty long! Chapters will be getting longer since the story is starting to come to an end. Not gonna say how may chapters are left, but we don't have much time. Mabel better hurry!))


	21. XXI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets. 
> 
> – Paul Tournier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> H͓ͥͮ̃͂e͍̭̞̣̳̘͍̚ ͚̈́̎ͤf̫͇̏͒̅ô͍̠ͫͤr͔͓͗̿̈̓ͮ̂ĝ͍͇̦̲͍̭̮̉̇͆̆̒̄ȏ̯͖̱̓ͤt́̍ ̗̬̘͖̂̂ͮͯ̓t͔̝̦h͇͇͉͊͊͂͛͌̌̋e͙͙͈̘̍̇ ̜͆ͯ̽̂m̜̃ͯ͋o̳͎̠͕̬͖̮ͮ̃̍̄̂̊s̬̯̥͔͎̥̺̓ͪ̋ť̝̯͓̜̤ͫ̓ ͔͖̝͓̠̤͒̿̾͊̊i̠͖̐m͇̯͗ͤ͒ͅp̫̰̝̙̄̅̾̐ͪor̲̱̔̎̊̏t̖̹ͥ͌͌ḁ̤̩̦͇́͌̾̋ͫ̿ń̘̺̳̼͐̄̽̿̓ͅt̯̟̖̹̼̻̗̊ ̽ͪ͐ř͚̬̤̬̭ͪ͂̉̃u̟̰̥͍̠̍ͬ͛ͣ̒l̼̯̃ͥ͛͒̋e̫̺.ͧ̑͌̅.̳̝̙̯̲ͥ͆̒̅̚.̤͇͎̥ͣ̃ͪͥͤͨͅ

At the library, Dipper felt bad for ditching for Terry, the way the boy gave him a hurt expression made him want to change his mind about seeing Veronica. He explained to the other that he’d be done with enough time to eat with him. Hopefully. Truth be told, Dipper had no idea why he was even going to see Veronica. He was supposed to be trying to figure out a way to stop all of this, but instead he was going around trying to solve problems. Maybe it was because he wanted to hear everyone else’s secrets since he couldn’t share his own?

“Pft, as if,” He muttered to himself as he approached the large doors that led to the library. He opened one of them, peeking around before silently entering. The library seemed to be bigger than he thought. There were two large spiraling staircases that led to the second part of the room. Once again, Dipper thought he was in heaven. But he had to focus, he had to find Veronica.

Turns out finding her was a lot harder than he thought, but he managed. Veronica was hiding up on the second flight, in the most isolated corner she could find. Dipper passed by dozens upon dozens of books, but the farther he went back, the fewer there were and the darker they got. It seemed that the scary stories were pushed in to the forgotten world so that the patients would only see and read the good kinds. He coughed slightly as he approached her. She was sitting on the floor in a crisscross position, a thick chapter book in her hands.

“Ahem,” Dipper called out, clearing his throat. Veronica closed her book and looked up at him, her ice-blue eyes lighting up with a strange emotion.

“Dipper, you showed,” She said, placing the book on the floor. She patted the spot next to her, but the boy choose to stay a good distance close to the exit in case he needed to run. Veronica sighed and leaned back against the wall, “So, what do you want to know?” She sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. Dipper breathed in slowly, fidgeting his hands.

“Why were you brought here?” He asked. She paused a moment, looking at the wall behind him. She seemed to be deep in thought, as though she was trying to remember. Then, she turned to him, startling him with how sad her eyes looked. He could almost see just how lonely and depressed she actually was.

“I was brought in her, for suicide,” She managed, fiddling with a loose thread on her shirt’s sleeve, “My parents were too controlling, too demanding. They wanted me to be something I wasn’t. It was their word, never mine. I remember that my dad would be beat me if I dared to even step out of line. My mother would spit insults at me if I didn’t dress how she wanted me to.” She sighed, “Being born into a rich family isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, ya know,” She looked up at him, “There are things that the cameras don’t show. We’re a fake family. And, I was tired. I hated pretending to be perfect. I hated the fake love they showered me with in public because that’s all it was. A lie.”

“So…you wanted an escape,” Dipper said. Veronica looked up at him.

“Yes…isn’t that what we all want?” She said bitterly, “An escape from this hellhole called life.”

“I can relate,” Dipper said, bringing his knees against his chest, “Things started off great here, when we first arrived. I’m from Piedmont, California,” He clarified at her confused expression, “My parents dropped us off her for the summer,” He said. She snorted.

“Jesus Christ, I pity you,” She said, “You must’ve been in some deep shit if you decided to end your life.” He winced, not liking how it was said in such a scoffing manner.

“Yes, well…like I said things started off great, but then,” He sucked in a deep breath, “It went downhill. We were in the woods, and then we were attacked. A man saved us…but for a price,” He wasn’t spilling the truth, but he hoped that this would be enough to get her to understand. Veronica listened to him silently, nodding her head before returning to her book.

“Did that help?” She asked, flipping it the page she was reading from. Dipper found that in some weird sense, telling her the somewhat truth had helped. He didn’t feel as if the world was crushing in on him and weighing him down.

“Yeah,” he answered slowly, looking up and smiling a bit, “it did.”

“Good. Now, go on and eat lunch. I bet Terry’s waiting for you.” This puzzled Dipper as he was about to get up. He stared at her, eyebrows furrowed.

“Why would he wait for me?” He asked, clearly not understanding what she was getting at. Veronica rolled her eyes and puffed out her cheeks.

“Jesus, everyone here is so stupid,” She muttered under her breath, “Terry _likes_ you, blockhead,” She snorted, “I’m surprised you didn’t see it. Why, I bet you could get him talking if you tickled him in just the right places,” She winked.

“Oh… _oh_.” Dipper said, turning dark red. Great, now he had a _very_ intimate image of Terry in his mind. Veronica bursted out laughing and Dipper turned to leave, giving her a bitter goodbye as he quickly rushed out of the area. His cheeks were still a deep red and the image of Terry wouldn’t leave. The worse part was that his body was reacting to the image. With a sigh, Dipper began to make his way to the cafeteria, but he was stopped short as a hand touched his shoulder. He jumped and spun around, ready to punch whoever had grabbed him, but stopped when he saw that it was the very person he was thinking about. Well speak of the devil, he thought to himself, slowly bringing down his hand.

“Terry,” He breathed. The boy smiled, showing his dimples. He took Dipper’s hand and began leading him off somewhere, “W-wait, don’t you want lunch?” He asked. The boy shook his head and continued walking. Dipper followed on and saw that there were heading towards an elevator. There was no one around and he slightly grew uneasy, “Terry what are we doing?” He asked, but the boy gave no hint and they both stepped into the elevator. No sooner had the door closed than did Terry bring the other to him and press their lips together.

Dipper stared in complete shock and didn’t budge. His mind was reeling with different thoughts of how to go about the situation. Terry’s lips were soft against his. Warm and soft. Unlike Bill’s whose were rough and cold. And unlike Bill’s kisses, this one was undemanding. In fact, it was as though Terry was merely trying to tell him what he couldn’t with words. It was an invitation for him, a letter that was asking for acceptance. And did he accept?

Terry pulled away, panting slightly. He looked at Dipper unsurely and once the elevator dinged, he led him out of it. Dipper touched his lips gently, the skin tingling a little. Oddly enough, the kiss from Terry felt…right. And he wanted another one. He stopped halfway and Terry looked back at him, his head tilting slightly to the side in question. Without thinking, Dipper yanked him towards him and kissed him, craving for the sense of rightness he felt from him. He never knew that kisses could be enjoyable, he only thought they were bad and led to bad things he didn’t want happening. Breaking apart, Terry broke into a smile and opened a nearby door, Dipper was surprised to see that it was their room.

Without either of them saying anything, they both entered the room.

**▻△▽◅**

Mabel waited impatiently in the car as Stan locked the Shack. She was eager to get the Center so that she could visit with Dipper. It was only his third day there, but she was excited to find out the news from her brother. She bounced lightly in her seat, biting her lip as she gripped her backpack tightly. After what seemed like forever, Stan finally came back and entered the car, starting it up.

“Finally!” She grinned, “You took forever!” Stan chuckled as he backed out, before switching gears and driving forward.

“Sorry about that, stupid door wouldn’t lock,” He said, “better have Soos check on it,” he grumbled. Mabel smiled and reached out to turn on the radio.

_Don’t start unbelieving!_

She gasped at the song, squealing and leaving the station. She found it fitting and it gave her a stronger will. She found herself singing along with the tune, and even Grunkle Stan joined in. Pretty soon they were both jamming and singing at the top of their lungs.

As they approached the center, Stan turned off the radio and they settled down into a relax setting. Mabel’s thoughts returned to the spell. She knew what would happen if a certain mind demon found out and she shuddered visibly as she remembered the burning hole in the wall that could’ve easily been her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped slightly.

“Hey, you okay, kiddo?” Stan asked with a worried smile. Mabel blinked and gave him one of her carefree grins.

“Psh! Yeah,” She said, “I’m fine. Just a little cold,” She said. Stan quirked an eyebrow.

“In that big sweater? Incredible,” He joked, parking the car. They both unbuckled their seatbelts and hopped out, “Ready to see your brother?” Stan asked. Mabel beamed and threw her hands in the air before grabbing onto the straps of her backpack that she had brought along.

“Heck yeah I am!” She shouted, “This girl’s missin’ her twin!”

Stan chuckled, a pained look in his eyes that the child didn’t see. He felt his own pain of missing his own twin and he wished more than anything that he could be as lucky as his niece to get one last glimpse or even one last visit of his brother. He sighed, breaking out of his wishing thoughts and opening the door for Mabel. The girl skipped happily inside, humming to herself as she made her way to the receptionist. Stan glanced around, something seemed different about the place. He didn’t know what, but he had a bad feeling that something big was going to happen.

“Hello there! I’m here to see Dipper Pines,” Mabel chirped, “It’s his sister Mabel and Grunkle Stan!” The receptionist grinned and let out an amused chuckle. She scooted back in her chair and reached for the phone, dialing down a few numbers and holding the phone to her ear.

“Greetings, Nicki,” She said, “Dipper’s got two visitors today. His sister and his guardian are here. Really? Alrighty! Thanks again,” She ended the call and looked towards Stan and Mabel, “He should be down soon, you can go ahead and have a seat,” She said, pointing towards the living room area in the lobby. Stan and Mabel nodded, thanking her before walking off towards the chairs and sitting down.

**▻△▽◅**

Dipper laid on the bed besides Terry, his eyes wet from crying as he snuggled closely against the boy who had made him feel happy and content than he had in a long time. He smiled when he felt Terry brush a thumb against his face to wipe away a stray tear.

“Thanks for hearing me out,” He choked, “I’ve been holding it in for so long…I guess, I just forgot what it was like to let someone in,” He sighed, sniffling. Terry merely gave him an understanding smile and kissed him one last time. Dipper sighed, enjoying the carefree moment. There was no Bill, no danger. It was just him and Terry.

At least until there was a knock on their door.

“Dipper? It’s me, Nicki,” The southern accent from behind the door had him jolting out of the bed in a flash, after all, the center didn’t really want any romance between the patients. The boy fixed his hair and wiped at his eyes. He walked quickly to the door and opened it, forcing a weak smile.

“Nicki, hi,” Dipper said. The woman smiled down at him.

“How ya doing kiddo?” She asked, “Sorry I haven’t been able to see as of late, things have gotten a bit stir crazy as of late. But I promise we’ll have a heart to heart chat soon. For now though, you’ve got a loving sister and grunkle waitin’ for ya in the lobby,” She said. Dipper’s eyes widened and a genuine smile spread across his face.

“Really?” He asked, at her nod he practically jumped for joy and ran past her. Excitement coursed through his veins as he raced to the elevator, bouncing like an impatient child as he waited for it to go down to the first floor.

Oh man, he thought, he didn’t think they would come. He thought they would leave him behind, what a silly notion! At the ding, the doors opened and he resumed running out. He almost looked like a mad man. As he raced to the lobby, he could make out the familiar outlines of his family and his smile grew wider if it was possibly.

“Mabel! Stan!” He called out, running to them with open arms.

Hearing his yell, both beings turned and stood, smiles adorning their faces as they too ran to him, the family repairing itself as they hugged each other tightly.

“I thought you weren’t going to visit,” Dipper admitted sheepishly when they had pulled away. Mabel punched his shoulder lightly and Stan ruffled his hair.

“What’d ya mean, ya knucklehead?” Stan grinned, bringing his nephew into a side hug, “We’ll always come to see you.” The sincerity of his words had Dipper choking on his own words. The most he could managed was a happy smile as he looked up at Stan.

They spent over an hour talking to each and sharing stories. Dipper explained how the therapy went along with his first night and the friends he made. He kept the romantic part about Terry a secret-he didn’t want Mabel bugging him about the details. When the laughter died down and Stan went off to find the restroom, Mabel’s face grew solemn.

“Dipper,” She said softly, looking around subtly, “I know about…your _situation_ ,” She murmured. Her brother’s eyes widened to the size of saucers and he looked around worriedly. He didn’t see Bill or feel him anywhere. It was just them for the moment, but the fact that Mabel had said she knew made his heart speed up with fear. Did Bill know? Was he going to kill her?

“H-how?” Was all he could manage in his surprise state and Mabel gave a sad smile.

“Go Mystery Twins,” She said with a weak chuckle. Dipper’s eyes registered with understanding and he gave an almost relieved smile.

“You found it,” He said, and a giant spark of hope ignited in his long dead chocolate brown orbs. Mabel smiled and reached for her backpack, pulling out a folded paper. Dipper looked down and took ahold of it, “The spell…” He whispered. Then he quickly thrusted it back into her hands, a scared look on his face, “Hide this,” he said, “Hide it and don’t let anyone see it. Not even Stan,” he said.

“But why?” She asked, “We could use his help!”

“I-I know…but _he_ can possess anyone, Mabel!” He whispered.

“Just like Dr. Stephenson,” Mabel said under her breath. Dipper raised both eyebrows.

“What?” He asked incredulously.

“Dr. Stephenson gave me a not-so pleasant surprise at the hospital,” She hummed. Dipper paled and immediately went into protective brother mode.

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” He asked, assessing her with a mixture of concern and fear. Mabel shook her head.

“No, no, just scared me,” She said reassuring him, then something came to her, “But, the spell,” She said, “Dipper, where’s the rest?” She asked. The boy sucked in sharply, wringing his hands and biting his lips nervously.

“U-uh…w-well, you see….” He began, she heard him mutter something under his breath.

“What?” She asked.

“I gave it to…eon…”

“Leon? Who’s Leon?” Mabel said, furrowing her brows, “Dipper, please,” She said, her eyes looking into his with all the sincerity and firmness she could muster, “Let me help you,” She said, placing a hand over his fidgeting ones, “Where’s the rest of the spell?” She asked gently. The boy gulped, glancing around before taking in a deep breath.

Mabel knew. He could trust Mabel. She was his sister. He let go of the breath he had been holding and met her comforting gaze. He was done with keeping secrets from her.

“Gideon. I gave the last half of the spell…to Gideon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20-8-5 2-15-25 20-8-1-20 19-20-1-18-20-5-4 1 19-1-16-12-9-14-7, 9-19 14-15-23 2-5-3-15-13-9-14-7 1 20-18-5-5.
> 
> T̼͙̥̜̫͚ͅR͉̻͉ͧ̓U̟̭̺̠͒̐̊̾̒̚S̙̫͂̽͑͆̆̚T̖͈͚͓̻̙ͪ ̳͚̻̮̋ͤN̩̽ͭ͂͋̾̚Ȍ̼̱̻̟̦ͭ ̏́O̩̭̖̮ͬ͑̄ͥ́̌͐N̠͙͆ͬͩȄ͍̮̖.̥̩̰͎̖̲͈̏ͭͧ
> 
> (And no, Dipper and Terry didn't do anything nasty, ya nasties XD )


	22. XXII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a secret like that, at some point the secret itself becomes irrelevant. The fact that you kept it does not.
> 
> \- Sara Gruen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> B̶͕̖͎̺̪̜͗̉͊i̭̥ͦ͛͂ͪ̽̑gͨͮ̿̉̍͡ ̳͕͎̩̬͔͔ͭ̏͒͌ͭ͝t̒͆h̳͓̔̆ͫͬ̚i̗̱͓̬͎̪n̫̳͂́͊́ģ̟̜̝̂s̥̠̜̗̪̩ͦ̌̄ ̨̲̇̓̐̉̎a̤͍̖̗͒͘r̪͑̍ͮͤ̒̑̚e͇͚̩͂͑͛ ̜̖̠̫̤̺̰͂ͬͯ͗͛c̘ͧ̈́̏ͬ̚o̪̻͍̲͖͞m̶̮̻̗͉͔͍̺̋i͗̄͏͖͉n͓̺͠g͕̫̭̺̔̿̃ͫͦ!̛̣͈̹̰̱͂ ̐̋ͩͨY̸͓̲̪̪̙̟o̞̺̝̘̭̟ͮ͂̏u̢͖̻͓̲̺͇ͭͯ̆̂̈́͒̐ ̘̣͂c̵͈̬̲̥͎ͮͫͦ͛͆ͥ̒a̝͎̹͍̙͛͆ͣn̰̳̰͍̞̫ͧ̐̅̾ͧ̕'̩͚̲̤̲̬ͤͣͮt̴͙̣̞̥ ̼͇̞̎s̮̯͚͎͞ť̸̖̙͓͓͖̖̲̅̊ͫ̒̈́̿op̲͢ ͎͓͔͍̙ͮm͚̜̞͓̰̠̗̊̋ͫ̀e̔ͫ̔̂̒̋̓͏̞̻ͅ!̵̼̠̼̌

Gideon.

The name sent a chill through Mabel’s spine as she let the thought process in her. She couldn’t help but gap at her brother, she felt a bit insulted and a little betrayed.

“Gideon?” She heard herself say, “You could trust Gideon but not _me_?” Dipper looked down at his hands, guilt taking place over his face.

“Yeah, I know,” He said, “It was a stupid decision, but who else did I have? Bill would’ve hurt you and Grunkle Stan and everyone else nearby if I had given the other half to you. Gideon was the only one who I _could_ trust. He knows how to keep himself from Bill’s eye,” Dipper said, running a hand through his hair. Mabel pursed her lips, letting out a sigh.

“Okay, okay,” She said, accepting his excuse, “So, Gideon has it, how did you manage to even hand it over?” Dipper blushed and remained silent, Mabel only raised an eyebrow, but let the question slide-besides, she’ll find out one way or another, “So how do I get it?”

“I told Gideon not to hand it to _anyone_ unless they know the password, and that included you,” Dipper looked around before leaning in close to her, whispering four words into her ear. Mabel listened, her lip twitching as she tried to stifle the laughs that wanted to come out. She pulled away from her brother and looked at him with amusement.

“ _That’s_ the password?” She chortled, shaking her head, “Dancing Dolphins Don’t Dwindle?” Dipper blushed again and waved her off.

“Sh-shut up, it’s original,” He argued. She held her hands up in mock surrender, giggling.

“Alright, alright,” She relented, rolling her eyes, “So, after I get the spell, what do you want me to do?”

“Come back here,” Dipper said, “We can’t waste any time, so the moment you get it, you _have_ to come back. That’s when the countdown starts.”

“Countdown to what?” Dipper looked apprehensively at Mabel, almost as if he was afraid of what exactly to tell her. He swallowed, looking her straight in the eyes. His sister almost gasped at the true amount of fear locked up inside her brother. His eyes looked glossy and dark, riddled with the true torment and horrors that plagued him.

“Alright, I’m back!” Stan said, “Sorry about the wait, you would not believe what I found!” The old man smiled, before pulling out what he was hiding behind his back. It was an orange and white packet, a logo with a few peanuts and the words, _Toffee Peanuts_ on it, “Oh man, can you believe they still sell’em? I used’ta eat this stuff all the time when I was younger!” Mabel’s eyes widened in amazement and Dipper quirked one eyebrow but had a smile nonetheless.

“That’s great Grunkle Stan!” Mabel shouted, making the old man beam.

“I know right! So, what were you guys talking about while I was gone?”

Mabel and Dipper looked at each other before speaking.

“Dogs!” Mabel had shouted but at the same time Dipper had said, “The shack!” The twins looked at each other with confusion before staring back the man, both of them saying what the other had said. Stan raised both his hands, urging them to stop.

“Yeesh, I get it, I get it,” He said, he glanced down at his watch and tsked, “Well, we better get going. It’s almost your dinner time,” Stan smiled. Dipper blinked, was it really that long?

“Already?” Mabel whined, frowning. Stan sighed and nodded.

“Afraid so,” He muttered, “These people here are all about schedules,” he gestured for both of them to stand up. The twins did so, albeit reluctantly of course. Stan wrapped his arms around Dipper tightly, “I won’t be able to visit tomorrow due some work stuff, but I’ll drop Mabel off so you guys can hang out,” He said with a weak smile, “Is that a deal?” Dipper nodded, clinging to man. He felt the loneliness that had gone away return and he felt empty again. He pulled away slowly and turned to Mabel, giving her a massive hug with all the love his small body could convey. Mabel smiled and hugged her back tightly as well.

“Don’t worry, bro,” She murmured, “We’ll be alright. I’m gonna fix it,” She said as they pulled away.

“Mystery twins?” They both said at the same time, taking each other by surprise. They blinked before breaking out into grins.

“Jinx! You owe me a soda!” Dipper said. Mabel laughed.

“See ya tomorrow broseph, and don’t worry about anything. We’ll get through this,” She assured before following behind Grunkle Stan. Dipper watched them both leave before sighing. He turned around, glancing the area nervously before walking to the cafeteria.

**▻△▽◅**

It was late at night, probably around one in the morning. Mabel clambered out of bed quickly, shrugging off her night gown to reveal a black sweater with a flashlight on it. She quickly slid on her shoes and tiptoed out of the bedroom silently, but not before grabbing her grappling hook. Smiling, she made her way down the stairs, mindful of the creaky ones and made it safely to the living room. Glancing around, she found the room safe to pass through.

She let out a sigh as she made it to the gift shop, placing a hand over her pounding heart. This was just like the time she snuck out to save Mermando and it made her giddy. Her smile quickly vanished when she heard a loud groaning noise-like rusty gears turning against each other and powering up a large machinery. She walked into the gist shop quietly, ducking behind some stacked boxes as she watched her Grunkle look around the place. He held what appeared to be a lantern and the girl watched, intrigued and curious, as the vending machine opened, revealing a hidden passage way behind it. Stan gave one last look before stepping inside, pulling the door shut, all the while still keeping a look out. Once the door was closed, Mabel stood from her spot. She walked over to the machine, looking it over before pressing down some random code. The snack dispensing object didn’t budge, instead, the small screen lit up, showing the price of the treat. She frowned, giving the machine a kick. What was Stan doing behind there?

“Best not to find out,” She muttered, getting back to the task at hand. She ran out of the shack and into the chilly night. Swallowing, she ran full speed ahead into the dark woods.

**▻△▽◅**

Mabel had only seen the Gravity falls Maximum Security Prison on TV during Gideon’s trial, but to see it in person…that was _something_. The place was creepy, no doubt about it. But if it was creepy during the day, then it sure as heck was freaking scary at night. Mabel gulped, tightening her hold on her grappling hook. She knew that what she was doing was illegal, and probably enough of a crime to get her thrown in this place, but she knew she had to get to Gideon and fast. As much as she hated to say it, she needed to see him.

Sucking in her fear, she ran forward, sticking to the shadows. Thanks to her black sweater, she blended in quite nicely with the dark scenery. She ducked against a wall as the security light shone brightly pass by her. She let out a small sigh of relief, thank goodness it didn’t catch her. Biting her lip, she watched the light pass by once more before turning to look up at the building. It was tall, built up with black bricks that made the place seem as cold and evil as the people inside it. She walked backwards, aiming her hook upwards and shooting. It connected with one of the antennas at the top and she held back a squeal of excitement as she was swiftly pulled upwards.

“Grappling hook!” She whispered excitedly. She gave one look downwards and quickly looked away, ignoring the dizzy look she got when she saw how high she was. It was true she had developed, in a way, a fear of heights and she had to force herself to remain calm for Dipper as she managed to make it to the top. She landed on the roof with a soft thud, pausing to calm down her rapidly beating heart. She looked around, making sure the coast was clear before running off to the vent. She tried to pry it off, but found that it was screwed tightly on. She huffed before reaching into one of her sleeves and pulling out a screwdriver.

“Never underestimate the power of Mabel!” She beamed as she quickly removed the screws. Then she paused, she had no idea where she was even going. She didn’t even know the place! It was miracle she had even made it this far. _No time to worry about that_ , she thought to herself, clambering inside the small confinement as quietly as she could. She pressed down over the flashlight on her sweater and immediately it lit up, illuminating the dark area. Taking in a deep breath, she pressed forward, hoping to whoever was listening that she was heading in the right direction.

Mabel had no idea how far in the vents she was going, but it felt like ages before she could start to hear voices. She turned off her light as she approached one of the openings in the ventilation. She peeked through the cracks, spotting a few scary looking inmates, all of them sitting around a table and playing cards. One of them almost looked like a giant, with tattoos running up his arms and wild looking red hair.

“Ghost eyes!” A southern voice shouted, breaking through the voices below. Mabel froze, eyes widening to the size of saucers as she recognized who it was. And sure enough, it was Gideon. She looked over the small, chubby kid, knowing that the white hair that was always bigger than his head was the one boy who had tried to kill his brother and nearly destroy the shack on _many_ occasions, “There ya’ll are! I was wonderin’ where’ya had squandered off to,” The boy said, giving a small chuckle. Mabel rolled her eyes, but leaned in closer to listen in on them.

“Sorry about that, lil’Gideon,” The one called Ghost Eyes said, his voice was gruff and scratchy, “The boys and I were just playing a game of poker, care to join us?” The child shook his head.

“Not now, we’ve got more pressing matters to attend to,” The boy grouched. Their voices dimmed down a bit and Mabel pressed herself closer, trying to hear them better. She barely noticed the groaning sound of the old metal beneath her as it gave up and broke. She yelled as she fell forward, landing directly on top of the table, making it crush in half by the weight of her drop. She let out a pained groan as she tried to steady her vision, looking at the inmates around her.

“Ugh…why are there double of you guys?” She slurred, before shaking her head to snap out of her daze.

“Oh my stars! Mabel! My apple dumpling!” Gideon gushed, “Have you come to finally marry me?!”

The girl weakly got up, the tokens and cards falling off her, “I ain’t no one’s apple dumpling!” She huffed, “And no! I have not come to do that!” She glared, crossing her arms over her chest before remembering where she was, “Oh crap,” the girl said, wide eyed.

“Gideon, is this that girl who you’ve been telling us about?” One of the inmates piped up. Gideon blushed and let out a small sheepish chuckle.

“Uh, never mind that! What on earth are ya doing here?” The boy said, walking over to the girl to help her out of the broken table. The girl allowed him to, wobbling slightly over the broken pieces before removing her arm from him and dusting herself off.

“I came…to talk to you,” She muttered, clearly not happy being here, “I’m sure you know why.” Gideon looked around nervously, before abruptly turning around.

“Gideon, prison guards are coming,” Ghost Eyes said, “better hide her and quick!”

“Right!” The child said, glad for a distraction, “Uh…Mabel, hide behind that shelf there!” The boy said, ushering her towards a large book shelf, “There should be a gap big enough fer ya!” Mabel did as she was told, squeezing her way between the shelf and the wall. She heard the big metal door to the room open and she could hear a new voice pipe up.

“Alright, what’s going on in here?” A deep voice asked. The inmates looked at each other, unsure of how to properly explaining the huge mess. Then, two tall and buff figures stepped forward. One was a dark skinned man with two differently colored eyes and the other a tanned man riddled with scars.

“Ah, we’s was just rough housin’ it,” The tanned one said, a thick Italian accent, “We’s didn’t mean no harms.”

“Yeah, just got a little carried away.” The dark one grinned. The prison guards seemed unimpressed and gestured for the two to come.

“Looks like we got some trouble makers, huh?” The second guard said, “Well, we know just what to do with shady characters like you. You’re both going to the hole,” They said. Everyone in the room gasped, and Gideon seemed genuinely worried for the two.

“N-now, c’mon, that’s…that’s not necessary now, is it?” The boy tried, giving them one of his cute looks. The guards shook their heads.

“Afraid so, squirt,” The first guard said, patting the boy’s hair much to Gideon’s annoyance.

“Hey! What did I tell you about the hair?” The boy snapped, slapping the guard’s hand off of him. The guard stiffened, staring straight ahead.

“Sorry about that!” He blurted, making it clear that Gideon did have some authority over the guards, before the man returned back to the problem, “Now then, as much as we know you hate it, these two need to pay for the crime. They even broke the table!”

“I liked that table too,” The second guard muttered, giving a forlorn look to the destroyed object. The two stepped forward, standing tall like two heroic soldiers.

“It’ll be okay, Gideon,” The dark man said, “We’ve lived through it before.”

“Yeah, we’s can do it! Don’t’a worry little man!” They both shouted words of reassurance as they were taken from the room, the door closing with a harsh _clank_. Mabel squirmed from her hiding place and looked at all them. They all looked to be mourning and she felt bad for making them sacrifice two of their own.

“Sorry about that, Gideon…” She said quietly as she approached the boy. When she was close enough to look at the boy, she was surprised to see the sincere concern he held for them. Gideon’s eyes were wide and glazed over, almost teeming over with tears that threatened to spill. Once the boy had noticed Mabel had gotten near him, he forced the look off his face and worked up a smile.

“Ah, no worries my sweet peach!” He said, and Mabel allowed the nickname to pass, since the boy did indeed seem human enough to her, “Nim and Rod’ll make it! They always do!” He said, trying to sound like his old cheerful self, “Now then, about what you wanted?”

Mabel blinked, “O-oh yeah! Uh...I wanted to tell you, that uh…dancing dolphins don’t dwindle!” She grinned. The boy stiffened and the whole room went dead silent and it seemed to take on an eerie setting. Mabel’s smile slowly faded as she looked around, “That…that was the password, right?” She asked, scratching her head awkwardly. Gideon blinked slowly, clearing his throat slightly.

“Y-yeah…that was the correct one…” He whispered. He suddenly grew serious and clapped his hands. Suddenly there was a chair behind him and Mabel. The girl yelped in surprise a little, not expecting everyone to suddenly become animate. She cleared her throat, jumping back as a large inmate was suddenly on his hands and knees in the middle of them, acting as a sort of table. Ghost Eyes and the others surrounded them, their backs facing them as though they were a wall.

“Sorry’bout all this, but it’s important that no one but you’an I see this,” He said, answer the girl’s unasked question. Mabel smiled slightly, sometimes Gideon really _did_ seem like a child psychic. The boy reached into his hair, making the girl cringe slightly, and he pulled out a torn piece of paper. Mabel gasped.

“Is that…”

“Yes,” Gideon nodded, “You’re brother surprised me when he actually trusted me with this’ere paper, but, when he told me his story, I accepted to keep this safe. After all, Bill can’t enter this building,” He grinned. Mabel blinked.

“Why not?” She asked.

“Because this place is protected, by what I don’t know, but there’s a reason this place is called a ‘maximum security prison’,” He said. Mabel gasped in awe, finding this new information interesting. She gingerly took the paper Gideon held out for her and unfolded it. She pulled out the other half from her pocket and connecting the two torn edges together. It was a perfect fit and relief and excitement rushed through her whole system.

“Thank you,” She said, “I just…this’ll finally be over,” She wiped away the tears that threatened to fall and Gideon reached over, placing a hand over one of her own.

“Mabel…have you been…okay?” He asked softly. His voice was laced with genuine concern and the girl was heavily taken aback. She didn’t think Gideon could be so…human.

“Y-yeah,” She stuttered, “I’ve been okay. Just, worried, but now, it’ll all be okay!” She reached over and pulled the former child psychic into a hug, “Thank you,” She whispered to him then her smile turned into a frown, “Are you sniffing my hair? Again?” She asked, creeped out by this notion. Gideon pulled away, shaking his head and grinning sheepishly.

“What? ‘Course not!” He argued, “But, you’re welcome.” He smiled. And she returned it.

“Well, I’ve got to get going. Dipper needs me,” She said, standing up. Gideon stood as well.

“W-wait!” He said, grabbing her hand to stop her. He quickly gasped and let go, rubbing the back of his head nervously, “I…here,” he said, reaching to remove something from him, “It’s a safe charm. Hand it to Dipper, it’ll protect him from when you face Bill,” he said, handing a small diamond shaped pendant attached to a thin gold chain to her. Mabel took it in her hand, looking it over in awe.

“It’s beautiful…” She said, eyes wide. She placed it around her neck and hid underneath her sweater. She looked to Gideon and gave him a warm smile, “You know…when you’re not acting all tyrannical and crazy, you’re actually pretty sweet,” She added, “Weell, I better get going. I don’t want the rest of you to get in trouble, plus Dipper needs my help and I better be back before Stan notices I am missing,” She chuckled.

“Right! Of course,” Gideon said, his cheeks turning red, “Here, you can use the window, Ghost Eyes removed the bars long ago and they haven’t been replaced yet,” He said. Mabel snickered before following him.

Gideon opened the window and she gave him one last hug, “Thanks again,” She said, pulling out her grappling hook and shooting it towards a nearby tree branch, “Grappling Hook!” She shouted before she was pulled out. Gideon only watched her, rubbing his blushing cheeks as he let out a giddy laugh and smiled like a child on Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20-8-5 3-15-21-14-20-4-15-23-14 9-19 19-20-1-18-20-9-14-7, 5-22-5-18-25-15-14-5 18-5-1-4-25? 20-8-5 2-1-20-20-12-5’19 2-5-7-21-14 1-14-4 20-8-9-14-7-19 1-18-5 7-5-20-20-9-14-7 8-5-1-4-25. 
> 
> ___
> 
> ;A; aaaaaah, I hope I characterized Gideon correctly! I'm not good at getting out accents...
> 
> Sorry for the late update! I lost the stupid rough draft that had this chapter on it, so I had to rewrite this sucker from scratch! Errgh, I hates when that happen...but I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this! Aaah, there's only like three or four chapters left of this...thank you for putting up with me you guys. I really appreciate the positive feedback you've given me.
> 
> FAQ: Bill will be appearing in the chapters to come. Don't worry, I didn't forget about the other star of the story!


	23. XXIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I feel bare. I didn't realize I wore my secrets as armor until they were gone and now everyone sees me as I really am.
> 
> \- Veronica Roth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> E͚̝͔̮̬̬ͯ̕ͅv̳͈͇̙̎e̯̖͎͡r̖͉͓̭͗̾ͧ̒ͫͭy̱͙̭̠̳̰̽ͨͫͣ͘t̗̦͑ͧ̅h͚̬̪̩̖̑ͩ̓͆ͫͬͅi̺̘͈͇̯̍̃̅̐̿n̷̹̆́̈́g̬̰ͭ̈́̊̎ͮ ͖̘̞͓̯̏̍ͨͮ̐ͨ́ïͧͬ͑̑ͪ҉̞̫̼̠̦s̝̟ͭ́ͦ̑ͣ͊ͅ ̗̺̭̙̲̫̥ͫͬ̑́n̶̤͕̱͎̝ͪ̈͋ͤ̃̇̎o̸̮͈͊͐t̎ͯ͗͌͂͏̣̬͙̞͕͕ ̷͈̠̝̠̙ā̺̪ͩ̇̍̏sͫ̅̿͏ ̏̌̑̍̿ͬͣi̅ͦ̓̑ͭͣ͋ẗ́͊҉ ̢͙̆͑͂͋ͬͩs͍͎͚̻͚ͩͬ̐ͭ̌ͥͅe̳̖͖̣ͭ̋͌̇̚͡e͎͍̖̦̭̪͢m̠̙̗͔͎̏ͮͤͪ̾s̨͓̺͙̖̙̦̋ͤ̇̅͑ͩ

It was dark when he woke, not a single shed of light anywhere to be seen. He blinked slowly, letting out a small pained groan as he tried to move. His senses came to life when he felt something squeezing his wrists and legs, holding them in place. Something cold and hard was wrapped around his neck, squeezing just barely enough to give him a little difficulty with breathing. He squirmed, finding himself tied down against a chair. He gasped, struggling against the bonds to no avail. What happened? How did he get here? He tried to calm himself down enough to at least get his memories going, but he found that all he could see was a fuzzy blur.

“W-what’s…what’s going on?” He rasped, breathing in deeply as he tried to get his eyes to adjust to the lighting.

“And here I’d thought you’d sleep forever.” Said an all too familiar voice. Dipper stiffened against the chair, his body going rigid as he cast his eyes about wildly. His heart pounded loudly in his chest, and he vaguely wondered if the being here could hear it. He licked his chap lips, letting out a frightened yelp as something brushed against his arm. The being chuckled, finding amusement in the boy’s fear.

“W-where am I?” Dipper forced out, “Why am I here?” He wracked his brain for any semblance of memory. He needed an understanding, he needed to know what happened. He needed to get out of this darkness! He was shivering from the adrenaline in his body, everything was tense. He was in fight or flight mode, stuck between them. Trepidation flooded his senses, blocking out any working pathway that could’ve shed some light on the situation. All reasoning was gone out the window and he was nothing but a scared animal in this moment. Then, he heard a sound.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

He jolted, trying to swivel his body around. He gulped loudly, chest rising and falling as he was slowly starting to hyperventilate.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

He cried out, pulling against the ropes that held him firmly. For some reason the banging scared him. It was like any normal hit against something banging. No, this one sounded like someone was trying to break _out_.

“Hear that sound, Pine Tree?”

Dipper screamed at the voice that was right next to his ear. He felt like he was going to have a real heart attack. The darkness didn’t help him at all. But he wondered if it was better than seeing what was around him.

“That’s the sound of my friends waiting to come through!” Bill chortled, “All we’re doing in waiting for you to break,” The demon let out a sigh, and from the sound of it, it seemed like he had moved away from the child a little, “You see, Pines,” He began again, “Your mind is like a gateway. With just the right amount of push, anything can happen! And that anything could even be a way to get my world, into yours!” The demon cackled. Dipper swallowed, looking around for where Bill could be lurking.

“What do you mean?” He asked, trying to get his head leveled.

“I _mean_ ,” Bill stressed, pressing his sharp nails against Dipper’s shoulders from behind, his mouth right next to his ear, “Your entire mind and body, is a portal for me and my friends. Your mind has been through so much, it’s starting to break, and once it does,” Bill gleamed, “Bye, bye Dipper Pines, and _hello_ demon central station!” Bill laughed. Dipper gasped, finally coming to terms with just what the demon was getting at.

“T-that’ll never happen! I’ll stop you before it does!” Dipper bit back, albeit a bit weakly than he had planned. Bill scowled, releasing the boy’s shoulders from his claw-like nails.

“Yes, I’m aware of that now,” Bill hissed, making Dipper’s heart stop for a split second, “You’ve been confiding with people, Dipper,” Bill said, “And because of that, the stress on your mind has been slowly disappearing,” He griped, “But I won’t let it continue.”

The tone in Bill’s voice made shivers of fear ripple up and down Dipper’s spine, making his breath hitch as he was suddenly untied. He was about to run off, but Bill had pinned to the chair faster than he could even process it. Bill’s body seemed to have started glowing because he could see the demon’s form revealing itself slowly. He swallowed heavily as his eyes connected with the frightening golden one that he had come to fear.

“W…what are you going to do?” The boy asked slowly, afraid of what the answer might be. By the look of Bill’s broad smile, he had every right to be.

“You’ll see,” The demon said, flicking the boy’s forehead harshly. Dipper could barely get a word out before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he went limp, “Sweet dreams,” He cackled, before leaving the twitching and screaming boy alone.

**▻△▽◅**

Mabel was dead tired when she came back to the shack. It was five a.m. by the time she had gotten back home and when she had fallen asleep it seemed as though she had to wake up. Stan had woken her from her dead sleep, telling her that it was already nine in the morning, an unusual time for the girl to wake up. After finally getting Stan to see that she was okay, she got up and got dressed, remembering what she had to do today. She glanced at the pendant around her neck, it glimmered briefly, almost as though telling her not to worry. And strangely enough, she felt a little more relaxed than stressed.

To wake herself up, Mabel had had a whole pitcher full of her infamous Mabel juice, and this time, she made sure to put extra glitter and pickle juice-to help give her that extra spruce of energy. She even packed some in an empty water bottle, stuffing it into her backpack for the trip to the center to visit Dipper. Stan fixed his tie in the mirror before turning and smiling at her.

“Ready?” He asked, grinning down at her. Mabel nodded, straightening her shoulders.

“Sure am, Grunkle Stan!” She beamed, “I’ve had plenty of Mabel juice along with breakfast. Plus, I’ve got Dipper’s favorite book in my bag, I know he’s probably missing a dose of his favorite capers,” She snickered. Stan laughed along with her, both of them exiting the shack and clambering into the car. Mabel buckled up along with Stan and they both drove off.

“So, anything weird happen last night, kiddo?” Stan asked, glancing at her briefly. Mabel tried her best not to stiffen, instead clearing her throat in hopes that Stan won’t tell that she’s…lying.

“What? Uh, no…everything was fine! Totally fine! I was asleep in bed and totally fine!” She rambled, feeling sweat forming. She quickly wiped it away, avoiding Stan’s confused stare.

“Well…that’s, that’s good,” Stan said after a moment, “I was just makin’ sure. I saw the gift shop’s door unlocked and partially opened,” He added. Mabel tried not to wince. She knew she had forgotten to do something last night! She had been so tired when she returned, and not to mention sweaty and gross that the idea of properly closing up the shop left her mind.

“Y-yikes,” She stuttered, “Guess we should probably start double checking to lock it, huh?” She said, twiddling her thumbs nervously. Stan hummed in agreement. As they turned into the parking lot of the center, Mabel felt relief fill her. But the closer they got, the odder it seemed.

“Weird,” Stan said, “It almost looks empty.”

And it did. As Mabel looked out the window, she could see just how unnaturally deserted the place. The inside seemed to be darker and she knew that the windows weren’t tinted. They hadn’t been tinted when they had first seen the place. Not even yesterday!

“Wait, I see someone in there!” She said, and indeed, there was a figure moving about. And pretty soon there were more. Stan hummed, though he found the whole thing odd. But he didn’t have time to dwell on it when Mabel unbuckled her seat belt, “You can drop me off here!” She said, “I think I see Nicki in there!” Stan nodded, stopping the car and allowing her to get out. Mabel gave him a quick hug and a brief goodbye before exiting the vehicle and running inside. Stan watched her as she disappeared inside the center, he wondered if he should just lay off work for today, but then he remembered that he still had get the kids something for their birthday before he forgot.

“She’ll be fine,” He said, assuring himself as he slowly drove away from the place, “Yeah…she’ll be alright…”

**▻△▽◅**

When Mabel stepped inside the center, it was like she had walked into a whole other world. The bright chandelier above that once lit the room brightly, now flickered and filled the center’s lobby with a dim lighting. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Hello?” She called out, but silence answered her. She glanced around, her chocolate orbs absorbing the dark scenery. She swallowed, “Dipper?” She let out a small yelp as she suddenly tripped over something hard. She fell with an ‘oof’, catching herself with her hands. She peered over her shoulder, brushing her long hair out of her eyes. She gasped, covering her mouth with one hand as she recognized what it was she tripped over. It was a body. A _human_ body. She yelled, scrambling back in shock, “A body!” She cried out, shaking, “A-are you alright?” She asked, her chest rising and falling quickly. The body didn’t budge nor did she get a response. And even though she knew the answer already deep inside, a big part of her refused to believe it. She felt tears swell up in her eyes and she froze as she felt her hand land in something warm and wet. She looked down slowly at her hand and screamed loudly, standing up and tripping over another dead body. It was _blood_. Oh Lord, she had _touched_ blood. She shook her hand rapidly, the blood splattering off of it and leaving specks and dots along the ground and on her clothes. She whimpered, shuddering violently in horror and disgust.

“Mabel?” A small voice squeaked out. The girl turned, sighing with relief at the familiar figure behind her.

“Nicki!” She breathed, running towards the lady who had left a good impression on her. Nicki allowed her to hug her before the girl pulled away, looking around in worry and fear, “What happened?” She asked, her voice breaking halfway into her sentence. Nicki shrugged, shaking her head.

“I…I don’t know!” She cried, running her hands through her already messy hair, “O-one moment I was talking to your brother and then the next, everyone is _dead_ ,” She said, sobbing a little. Mabel swallowed before blinking in realization.

“My brother! Dipper!” She said, taking the woman’s blood stained hands, “Where is he?” Mabel stared up into Nicki’s teary eyes. Nicki sucked in sharply, pulling her hands away and hugging herself.

“I told you, I _have_ no idea! He just…just disappeared!” She said in exasperation. Mabel’s eyes widened in realization and she took a step back.

“Bill,” She whispered under her breath. Unbeknownst to her, she had gotten Nicki’s attention. The woman looked up, eyes narrowing on the child and she moved forward.

“What did you say?” She asked, gaining the girl’s responsiveness. Mabel blinked before shaking her head.

“If I told you, you wouldn’t get it,” She said, beginning to walk around her. But she was held back by Nicki, the woman’s gaze hardening into a cold stare.

“You said _Bill_ ,” The woman persisted, “Who is he?” Mabel hissed as Nicki’s hold tightened and she whimpered, reaching up to try to get the woman to let go of her.

“N-Nicki,” She began, “y-you’re hurting me,” She said, eyes widening up at her. She gasped as the woman’s eyes flashed a vivid red. She shoved the woman away as hard as she could, making Nicki stumble back and let go of her for a brief moment. Within that time, Mabel yanked herself back, stepping away from her as quick as she could, “W-what are you?!” She cried out, staring in horror at the women.

Nicki was hunched over, head faced towards the ground. There was a soft laugh coming from her that slowly grew louder and making a cackle. Mabel watched as Nicki’s skin began glowing a dull pink. The woman’s figure shifted; her body thinned and became slim at the top before widening past her hips. The pink glow grew brighter, covering the cackling lady. It swirled around her frame before disappearing into thin air and revealing…

“A…demon…” Mabel gasped.

The creature in front of her no longer was that of a human. The being snapped its head up, revealing one single large red eye between parted pink hair, with two large curved horns on either side of its head and several smaller ones between. They had a wide and thick mouth that spread into a wide grin to reveal the sharp fangs and teeth hidden behind them. White flames ran up its limbs and at the end of its legs; pink stiletto pumps.

“Man, human bodies are _so_ confining,” The demon chortled, “How does Bill put up with it?” She groaned. Mabel blinked several times.

“You know Bill?!” She gaped. The demon turned its eye to her and its smile grew into a menacing one.

“Oh right! I almost forgot about you,” It giggled, “I’m Pyronica! A friend of Bill’s, whom I guessing you already know?” At Mabel’s nonresponse she just shrugged, “Oh well, it doesn’t matter. Bill told me to get rid of you if you showed any signs of knowing the little brat’s secret, and guess what? You _do_!” Pyronica cackled, “A shame I have to kill you along with that other kid…Tarry I think,” She said with a snicker, “But who cares!” She laughed madly, jumping up and floating in the air high above the girl. She posed her arms as though she was shooting arrow, and sure enough, white flames quickly filled that opened and the demon aimed it at her, shooting it. Mabel yelped, quickly dodging out of the way of the flames. Pyronica let out a high laugh as her flames connected with the ground, destroying it as though it were a bomb.

“Oh boy! A challenge!” She sneered, “This’ll be a _fun_ game!” She cackled, raising both arms up. White orbs formed instantly and she shot them down at the running child. Mabel ran in a squiggly line as she did her best to avoid the white flames, shouting apologies if any hit the dead bodies. Pyronica followed behind her, right on her tail. She brought both hands together and formed a big white ball of flames, aiming it and throwing it. It landed in front of Mabel against the wall and exploded.

The whole room was covered in dust and debris. Pyronica landed on the dirt and brick covered floor. She clicked her tongue, “What a mess,” She snickered, raising her eye to look at where she had shot the flame. She moved closer, “Hey, did you die?” She giggled, waving her hand to clear some of the dust in her way. She heard a small pained groan and grinned, stepping forward with another white flame before her smile suddenly disappeared.

She had found Mabel, but the girl was being covered by a white dome over her small frame. Pyronica gaped, watching as the dome disappeared when Mabel slowly got up. The girl gripped her forehead, whimpering softly in pain. Mabel pulled her hand back, eyes widening when she saw blood on her hand. She felt her head again and gasped as she felt a bleeding wound. Pyronica watched silently before scowling, lifting her arms again and shooting another white flame. Mabel looked up in time to see, closing her eyes shut and holding her breath. But the pain never came.

The child opened her eyes slowly, exhaling quickly at what she saw. The white flame was frozen in front of her, a white barrier keeping it from moving. She stared with wide eyes as she reached out, touching the flames with her hands. Surprisingly, it didn’t burn her. The flame felt cool against her touch and the moment she touched it, it unfroze and shot off in the opposite direction, hitting Pyronica squarely in the chest. The demon screamed as it was shot back, crashing into a wall and leaving a large crack in it. Mabel brought her hands back to her and looked down at them with awe, then she noticed that her pendant was glowing.

“It works!” She said, standing up on shaky legs. Pyronica let out a loud growl as she yanked herself from the wall.

“That’s….not possible,” She hissed, firing another orb. Mabel raised her hand and to her surprise, the white ball of fire stopped. She grinned, thrusting her arm forward and making the ball hit the demon again. Pyronica howled in pain and anger before lunging herself at the child. She pinned Mabel against the wall by her neck with one hand, igniting her other with flames. Mabel glared at her and took a hold of the arm pinning her.

“We’re done… _playing_ ,” She rasped. The pendant around her glowed brightly, covering her body. Pyronica gasped as the light spread onto her, she dropped the girl, wailing out in agony as the light ate away at her.

“NOOOO!” She screeched before her whole body exploded into nothingness. Mabel let out a puff of air as she fell back onto the ground, breathing in exhaustion.

“Hang on, Dipper,” She breathed, “Mabel’s coming.”

**▻△▽◅**

Dipper panted heavily as he ran through a forest. He didn’t remember how he got here, but all he knew was that _something_ was trying to get him. He held fast onto his bleeding arm, fighting back tears to keep his vision blurry free. His arm was bleeding due to something attack him. He didn’t know who or what it was, but it was clear that it was out for blood. _His_ blood to be exact. Dipper paused briefly, breathing heavily and whipping his head about.

_Chk! Chk! Chk!_

His heart jolted at the sound and he took off running again, not wanting to be injured more by whatever was the cause of it. He let out a yelp as he tripped over something, rolling downwards along the ground. He tumbled down, scraping his body and tearing parts of his clothing before finally crashing into a tree. He gripped his aching head, groaning softly as he slowly cracked his eyes open.

_Chk! Chk! Bang! Bang!_

His eyes snapped open and he leaned back against the tree. His body was shaking and fear was gripping him by the very claw of his hand. He held tightly to his hurting arm, the blood slowing a little. He swallowed, panting out as he peered into the darkness that made up the forest.

_Thump, thump. Drag! Thump, thump. Draaag!_

Dipper slowly stood up, using the tree as an anchor. He squinted his eyes as he saw a silhouette in the distance. It was small and it seemed to be dragging itself along the ground. He shuddered, his lips moving but nothing coming out. The figure approached him slowly, making that horrible noise as it dragged itself. The boy whimpered, stepping away from the tree and moving backwards. He couldn’t take this! He fell to the ground, curling into a tight ball as he shook. He could hear the creature’s heavy rugged breathing, the consistent _thump, thump, drag_ making fright his new best friend. He whimpered, tears slipping past his squeezed eyes.

“Go away, go away,” He whispered, over and over again.

_Dipper?_ A hushed voice called out to him, the noise soothing to his ears, but the fear was too great and he refused to look up. He heard a growl and that ominous fear that something was towering over him. He swallowed, shivering as he worked up the courage to raise his head. The moment he did however, he regretted. But it was too late, the grotesque body of the figure above him had burned itself into his brain and he let out a blood curling scream. The creature, for it wasn’t even that of human, loomed over him. It’s white, glazed over eyes stared down at him, its jarring mouth dangled down as though unhinged with a strings of saliva dangling off its sharp jagged rows of teeth and chapped lips. Its skin was nothing but rotting flesh, with insects crawling in and out of its open bloodless wounds. Whatever hair covered its scalp was matted and tangle to that of a rat’s nest. Torn clothes hung off of its thin, boney body. It growled lowly, like an animal that has felt threatened and it was giving a warning. Dipper gulped, forcing his body to roll away from the creature. As he scrambled to his feet, the monster behind him gave an animalistic howl, a loud keening one that made Dipper scream and cover his ears. He felt his feet move, and before he knew it, he was running with a very ugly thing giving chase. He heard a rustle to the side of him and looked to see another one coming from the trees near him. This one seemed bigger and bulkier than the other and on a closer inspection, he could’ve sworn it looked like a distorted figure of Grunkle Stan. He screamed as another creature jumped out from the trees and tackled him down. He landed down on his back with the figure on top, growling and snarling at him with vigor.

Dipper cried out, holding the creature back by its shoulders, “Get…off of…ME!” He cried, kicking the creature over him. There was a soft yelp from the monster as he did so and he heard it land flat on the ground. He got up, hearing the horrendous yowls behind him as he took off running again.

_Dipper! Dipper it’s me!_

He paused, hearing that soothing voice again. He turned his head around, sweating sliding down his face. He ran forward again, trying to find the location of that voice. He jolted back suddenly as an invisible barrier formed in front of him. He ran at it again, knocking back down to the ground by some sort of force. He cried out, banging and kicking against it. He froze as he heard the familiar growl of the beast behind him. Dipper panted, slowly turning around. There was a complete total of four of them and the boy gulped. Body shaking as sobs began to wrack through him. He was tired, scared, and cold. He fell to the ground, practically submitting himself to the inevitable death he was about to face.

“You’re breaking?” It was a statement, not a question that came from in front of him. It was deep, scratchy, and almost unrecognizable. Dipper looked up, having heard the voice but not really understanding it.

“W-what?” He whispered fearfully. One of the creatures, the first one he encountered, stepped forward, its white eyes looking about as though it were blind.

“Your mind is finally reaching its end point, you are _dying_ ,” The voice sounded amused and pleased, and slightly raspy, “The gateway will be opened.”

“Gateway…gateway…” Dipper whispered to himself before his eyes widened, “N-no…you mean…”

“You’ve accepted death, no?” Creature number asked, “Your mind seems to say otherwise. It’s deteriorating.”

And true to the creature’s words, the trees around Dipper were slowly unraveling, each one becoming nonexistent. He peered around to find that the forest he had woken up in was fading, leaving nothing but blackness behind it.

“What will happen to me?” He asked, jumping back as he found the creature to be rather close to him. The sound that came from the monster sounded dark and haunting and it sent a shiver of fear down Dipper’s spine.

“You’ll just have to find that out on your own, now won’t you?” It snarled. Dipper shook his head.

“No…no I don’t want to die…” But he knew it was too late, the fear had eaten up his mind like a parasite. He knew there was no way of living through this, his body was tired and he wanted to rest.

“Give in human, and let us have our fill of your _carcass_ ,” The creature sneered, raising a rotting hand. There were long, black and chipped nails at the end of it and Dipper couldn’t help but scream as the hand was swung down and he could only imagine just how painful they would be when they struck.

But he never found out.

Instead, he heard a hissing pain and then a loud awful scream. He opened his eyes to see the creature before him writhing, its body jerking and twisting as though trying to free itself from a hold. And the more Dipper’s vision cleared, he could indeed see something hanging to the creature’s arm.

_Stay away from my brother!_

He nearly cried at the familiar voice. Watching as a white, wispy apparition slowly formed. The creature managed to wretch itself free from the figure’s hand, and the almost ghost-like being turned to face him, extending a hand towards him.

_Let’s go_ , she smiled, her eyes giving Dipper the assurance that this was indeed his sister. The boy slowly reached, ready to take her hand before the creature in front of them yelled.

“ _NO_!” They all howled, “ _The gate must be opened! Your mind is ours!_ ”

For once, Dipper had never felt as brave and confident as he did in that moment. Walking forward, he narrowed his eyes with the main creature, a cold scowl forming across his face, “The gateway will _never_ be opened,” He said, and without any hesitation he took ahold of Mabel’s hand.

**▻△▽◅**

Dipper woke with a gasp, his body shaking and his vision blurry. Mabel hovered above him, smiling with sweet relief. After her battle with Pyronica, she had set about to finding her brother. She had no clue how long she had been wandering through the center, stepping over dismembered people and jumping over giant puddles of blood. The poor girl had tried not to gag at the huge scent of death and it was especially hard for her not to pass out from all the bodies and blood-but she knew for certain that the sight alone would give her nightmares for the rest of her life. After walking down another dark hallway, Mabel had heard a loud scream; no doubt her brother’s. With this revelation, she darted off, following the sound which led her to two doors. Upon opening it, she found that it was the cafeteria. Gulping, she stepped inside before freezing as she heard her brother’s horrible scream.

The rest was history as she found him lying beside a chair with ropes strewn about him. She ran to him, trying in vain to wake him up, but with each touch and shake he would only scream and writhe. It was a while before she figured out how to do it.

She pulled her sobbing brother into a hug, calming the boy down with soft words of comfort. Her brother slowly relaxed in her arms, wrapping his own around her weakly. He was gasping and crying and Mabel let him, knowing that he needed this at the moment. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, rocking back and forth. Her eyes wandered down to his neck and she smiled. Around Dipper’s neck was the pendant of safety that Gideon had given to her for her brother. She had no idea what power was used in it, but she made a mental note to go back and thank Gideon majorly for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gsv urmzo xlmuilmgzgrlm rh mvzi. Rg’h grnv gl kfg zm vmw gl Wrkkvi’h uvzi.
> 
> \- - -  
> SURPISE! One of Bill's friends came to the party!
> 
> Gosh dang me for writing a super long chapter. Hope it didn't bore you guys!
> 
> ▻△▽◅
> 
> So close to the end. Are you ready for the finale?


	24. XXIV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> True friends are those who came into your life, saw the most negative part of you, but are not ready to leave you, no matter how contagious you are to them.
> 
> \- Michael Bassey Johnson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ̮̜͎̝ͬ͛̋́ͩ̉̀D͕̰̂͊̏̑̏͒i̯̓̅s̶̙͎͇̱̔̃͗ͮͫͣ͆a̓̊̃̇̔ͩ͂s̗̲̀͐͌̏ͤ́͠t͕ͨ̂ͣ̑ͦ͛e͚͇̥̮͚͐ͥ̌̆͋͜ř̨͎͇͍̼͓̻̳̍ͩ̇ ͚͚̩̣̩̭̋i̢͔̫͕ͨͦ͐̆͆ͅs̟͉͇̘̆͛̈̈͗̐ͧ ͇̻̠ȃ̤͈̫̖̞̗̺̀̀̌̌ͫb̦͖͐̎̚oͥͬͨ͏u̠͞t͍̹̻͇̙̝ ͙̗̾ͬt̰̤͉̠͓̬̓ͮͫͬo̿͐ ̻ͬs̥̣̙̞̬̟͐͒̅͡t͍͉͖̻͙̙͐̍̚̚r̷̜͍i͐͊͂k̟̙ͩ̑̂̋̔̋̏͠ę̖͖͊.̖͇͚͑͒̅͆.̬͎̜̣̯̋̔ͫ̍.̶̗͎̎̐̌̓

It was a while before either twin moved, but when they did, it was Dipper who moved first. The boy sniffled and rubbed his eyes, which were puffy and red. He sat for a moment, staring at the ground, and Mabel reached over, touching his shoulder gently. The boy stirred, blinking as though he had been snapped out of a daze. He met Mabel’s eyes and he smiled, covering her hand with his own.

“I’m fine,” He said, then he nodded, “I’m fine,” and Mabel knew he was, from the way his voice held firm. She nodded, giving him one last hug before pulling away and standing up.

“We should get going…I’m sure Bill is probably going to be super angry at us,” She sighed, not sure if she was ready to face the powerful demon yet. But she knew there was little to no choice at all. They had to face Bill, it was now or never and regardless if she wasn’t ready; it was now or never. She felt Dipper wrap an arm around her and she looked at him.

“Hey, it’ll be alright,” He assured her, “We’ve defeated Bill before,” He said. She nodded, her own smile of confidence forming.

“And we’ll do it again.”

They both gave each other one last hug before things grew serious. Dipper’s eyes hardened and he walked over to Mabel’s backpack, he moved his hand around in it, searching for something before letting a hum of approval and removing it. Looking back, Mabel saw it was the spell. Dipper looked over it, running his hand along the taped edge, he gave a smile and Mabel simply grinned.

“Alright, so in order to beat Bill, we’re going to have to be extra smart about this. Bill can easily read into your mind and know just what you’re thinking,” The boy went on explaining, “The spell can only be done while in the process of making a deal.”

“So, I’ll do it,” Mabel insisted. Dipper immediately shook his head, putting his hand up before Mabel could protest.

“No,” He said, “I have to do this, if all else fails, I can’t risk having him do something to you.” Mabel frowned.

“Dipper,” Mabel sighed, “this whole thing started because you couldn’t have him doing something to me. I’m a big girl, I can handle it,” She said, “You can’t keep protecting me forever, broseph.” Dipper furrowed his brow.

“I know…but I can still try,” He said, he gripped her gently by the shoulders and looked at her with a grim expression, “ _Please_ Mabel, this is my battle, I have to finish it. Besides,” he grinned, “I have it memorized.” Mabel gaped at him.

“You what?” She asked, “If you had it already remembered, why did you have me go get from Gideon?! Do you really realize the trouble I went through _and_ could’ve gotten in to had I gotten caught? I almost died! _Died_! And on top of that, I sent two people to some bad place called ‘ _the hole_ ’!” She growled, before shuddering at the awful memory. Dipper raised his hands up.

“Whoa, easy tiger,” He said with a small chuckle, “I _needed_ you to get the spell because after I say it, it has to be burned in order to trap Bill in his realm. It’s like Bill’s travel size prison!”

Mabel blinked, looking down at the thin, slightly crumpled paper, “How did you even discover this spell?” She asked in awe. Dipper smiled and tucked the paper away.

“In my journal, I used the black light by accident on one of the blank pages and well, it turns out the author may have experienced something like this…I just wish I could’ve found the page sooner,” He sighed, an edge of bitterness to his tone. Mabel placed a hand over his and gave a hopeful smile.

“Well, we have it now and that’s all the matters, right?” She asked. Dipper nodded and took in a deep breath.

“Yeah.”

“So, what do you need me to do?” Mabel asked.

“I need you to find matches. Bill’s going to back any moment and once we make a deal and I say the spell, you need to burn it,” He said, “and then this whole nightmare will be done.” Mabel smiled.

“Alrighty! So where’re the matches located?”

“Second floor, room number six,” He said, “It was mine and Terry’s, and he had this weird urge to collect matches…so you’ll find plenty of them in there,” her brother explained, then his eyes lit with something unfamiliar, “I hope he’s okay…” He added softly. Mabel nodded, giving Dipper her own hopeful smile before the name caught her attention.

_A shame I have to kill you along with that other kid…Tarry I think._ The words clicked in Mabel’s head and her eyes widened, Tarry, Terry, Tarry, Terry. Tarry, _Terry_.

“Oh my gosh,” She whispered, her eyes tearing up, “Dipper…I-I think…I think…” Her brother looked at her, noticing her on the verge of crying and immediately he began to worry.

“What? What is it?” He asked, then he noticed the bleeding gash on the side of her head and his eyes widened, “Mabel, how long has that been there?” He asked, looking over the clotting wound. The blood had already dried up over it and he was glad that it wasn’t as deep as it looked. Mabel shrugged it off, nodding her head profusely.

“N-no, it’s Terry,” She said, “That kid you mentioned, the demon I fought with on the way in here said that she had to kill me, along with another kid and she said his name. I’m pretty sure she killed him, Dipper,” She choked out, reaching out to hug her brother tightly, “I’m so sorry.”

But Dipper hadn’t heard that. He was still processing what his sister had just told him. Terry was _dead_? He felt like a large anchor had dropped on him. A crushing, painful feeling struck his heart and he all but collapsed in his sister’s arms. No, no this _wasn’t_ fair. Terry didn’t deserve to die! He hadn’t realized he was crying until he felt Mabel wiping away his tears. He swallowed, looking at her.

“H…h-he’s…dead?” He whispered, “N-no…he can’t be!” But he knew it was true, Bill had followed through with his word. Terry had died because he had let him in. He had told him his secret, he had told the boy _everything_. And he felt so stupid for giving into his selfish desires and risking everything just so he could _right_. Anger boiled in him, anger for Bill, anger at himself, and just overall angry at the fact that he had been so _blind_ and _stupid_ to see that he could never have a happy life with the other. He was in idiot. A complete selfish idiot. “It’s my fault,” He whispered.

Mabel shook her head, “No, no, it isn’t Dipper. Don’t think that way.”

“But it is,” The boy insisted, “I…I told him everything when I shouldn’t have. It’s my fault he died without ever getting a chance to go home,” he said, his voice cracking at the end, “It’s my fault everyone here is dead.”

Mabel frowned and shook her head, “No, this is all Bill’s fault, Dipper, he started this and he killed all those people. You’re just an innocent kid, bro-bro. Bill’s the monster who took everything. And now it’s up to us to stop him. Make it up to Terry and everyone else by putting an end to Bill’s reign of terror. We got this, bro-bro. We can do this.” With that, Mabel hugged him one more time before turning to leave, “I’ll be back as soon as possible with those matches,” She said, saluting Dipper once before running off.

Dipper wiped at his eyes and took in a deep breath. He could hear Mabel’s footsteps padding down the hallway and he waited a few more minutes until he could no longer hear them. Once they were gone, he sat on the ground and thought for a while. He had to be smart about this, he had to trick Bill into thinking that he was completely helpless, and he also had to keep Mabel safe as well. He ran a hand through his hair, calming himself down as best as he could. Dipper stood up and glanced around the poorly lit room, he glanced at the scattered tables-some broken completely in half or blown to bits-and the food thrown everywhere was already drying and crusting. There were utensils scattered about as well and what he could’ve sworn were bodies and blood. He walked up to one body and his eyes widened at just who it was. Veronica. He kneeled down beside her, gently easing her limp body over. Her eyes were open, icy as ever and dark. Blood was splattered across her face and he could see the tears stains from when she was crying, and the more he looked down, the more he felt a lump form in throat. He swallowed, his throat feeling tighter than before as he saw the large gaping hole on her chest. He could see the burnt tissue and blackened bones that stuck out. Her shirt was drenched with blood and he couldn’t help but turn away and vomit whatever was in his stomach. Tears fell off his cheeks and sobs could be heard between the horrible sounds of retching.

It was a long moment before he managed to stop, his body still shaking from the leftover cries. He opened his eyes to stare at all the others, the innocent kids and teenagers, and the adults. They didn’t deserve to die, he knew that and he cursed the very being who was behind this all to hell. He hated him, he wished he was never created. He wanted that curse of a monstrosity to be obliterated. He hated Bill. He _hated_ him.

He faced Veronica’s lifeless corpse and reached a shaky hand to close her long dead eyes, “I’m sorry,” he said, “I’ll avenge you. I’ll avenge you all,” he said firmly. He stood up and closed his eyes, “YOU HEAR THAT YOU ONE EYED DORITO?! I’LL DESTROY YOU! I SWEAR I WILL!” He shouted into the bleakness. He wasn’t sure if Bill could hear him, but he prayed that he did. Dipper Pines _will_ defeat Bill Cipher. That was a vow he intended to fulfill. With a swift motion, he reached behind his neck to the mark on it. He prepared himself for the pain and without any hesitation, he clawed at it. Immediately he felt a fire fueled pain consume him and he knew why.

He had just summoned Bill.

**▻△▽◅**

Bill Cipher, ultimate dream demon, had been jamming it up with his friends when he got the surprise of his life. He had been talking with one of his friends, a fellow named Kyrptos to be exact, when Pyronica bursted in, her body blackened and scarred.

“ _Bill_!” She screeched, storming past the other demons amongst the party. Her flames were darker, bigger, and _dangerous_. She glared right at the demon with her one eye and brought her hand back into a fist before launching straight into the demon’s chest, making his eyes widen as he was flung back. He groaned, shaking off the pain before narrowing his eye at her.

“What the _fuck_ is your deal?” he snarled. Pyronica growled and formed a white ball in her hand before thrusting it at him. Bill easily dodged it but didn’t expect the second one, which knocked him back against the wall he had just pulled himself away from.

“What’s _my_ deal?” She hissed, “WHAT’S _MY_ DEAL?!” She yelled, “I’ll tell you what! That stupid _brat_ had a protective charm on her! If I hadn’t used an escape spell, she would’ve _killed_ me!” She snapped. Bill paused, a protective charm? Shooting Star and Pine Tree were really smarter than he gave them credit form. He rolled his eye, fixing his black bowtie before snapping his fingers, shining a single spotlight on Pyronica.

“I don’t see why you’re making such a big deal, you _lived_ didn’t you?” he huffed, removing his hat to brush off the dust on it. Pyronica sniffed, folding her arms over her chest.

“Easy for you to say, oh powerful triangle,” She sneered, “except that charm was able to wake the kid!” At this Bill paused all motion. He froze, his mind gears churning. So, Mabel had managed to save Dipper from his fearasites? Well, this was definitely a problem. But wait, there was another option.

“So the kid has a charm, boo-who,” He scoffed, “There are always different ways to make things happen, Pyro,” He said, placing his hat back on his head, “Remember the saying, ‘ _when there’s a will_ , _there’s a way_?” he asked, smiling wickedly, “And I have the will _and_ the way to get that portal up and running. We will not fail, my friends! The Odd-pocalypse will happen as we planned. Young Pine Tree will learn that there is no way to stop what’s coming. Weirdmageddon _will_ come, and _I_ will rule the earth, _forever_!” He said, bursting out into a loud fit of cackles. It would take more than a simple charm to end Bill Cipher. The other demons, including Pyronica, broke out into smiles and laughter.

And it was then, that Bill felt himself being summoned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gsviv rh mlgsrmt ovug gl tzrm. Droo tllw girfnkszmg? Li droo vero ivrtm?
> 
> A͙̙̰͇ͥ̾͛̍ͫ̍͛͡ ̺̻͇̊ṿ̲̣̀ͯ̑͡ȯ̥̰̦͎̤͔̮̿͗̉̇͐̀w̨͖̯ͦ̏ ҉͔̙i̼̘͔͆ͥ̆ͨͥ͠s͎̞̙̱̟̙ͤͤ́ ҉̯̖̫̫͈̻a̭̥̦̰̩̞͈͐̋ ̭̜̻̥̞͚͉ͣ́̎̋̄̐p̍ͯ́҉̝r͇̎ͨͥ̀ͨ̋o̳͕̯͇͉͎͋̈̓ͩ̈́̋ͯm̬̫̠̯̗̗̼͒́ͩ̅̏̑ͧ͞i̛͛̈́ͫs̛͙͕͆ͮ̌̎̀̃e̮̣̱͍͓̠ͅ,͇̍̐̒͑́ ̠̺̽̎̇̇͑̆͜c̲̮͈a̳̦̱͇̾͑ͯͅn̖̹̬͙̩̝ ̶̪̫̽̂͂̍̊̆D̵͍͋ͧ͂̇̂̆i̝̦̓̊̓͗̇̐̇p̛͚͔̪͙̻̆ͥ̊p̖̞e̸̯̳̺͇ͪr̥͈̠̘̼͎̪̐̈́̿͛ ̻̼̜̗͉͖͖́ͧ̕f͐͐̐͊ͫ̂͏̰ͅu̞̼̹͋͟ͅl̖͍͔̂͊̐f̅i͐̾ͬͩͮ̓͏̙̭͖l̯̲ͣͤ̅͂̓̚l̨̻̫͗̒̆̈́ͦ ͙̜͕͔̠̲̈͌̈͐ͮ̓ͅì͙͇̓̿̍̓̉͢t̺͂̈́ͦ̒̚͠?̣̥̜̆̉ͤͬ̀̓̐  
> ̷̾ͧ͒̄̄̃
> 
>  
> 
> ▻△▽◅
> 
> Sorry these chapters are coming in so late. I've been so busy trying to take care of irl stuff. I hope this satisfies you guys! We are so close to finishing!!! Aaaaaah, who do you think will win?


	25. XXV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some secrets are meant to be known- but once known you can never forget them.
> 
> -Pseudonymous Bosch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings-blood, gore, attempted rape

Mabel worked her way up the stairs to the second floor in silence. She had to take this way considering there were bodies blocking the path to the elevator, and even then, she didn’t want to take that because she could’ve sworn she saw blood oozing out from there. Honestly it would take a miracle for her to ever get through this ordeal. She huffed a little as she made it to the floor she needed to be on. Luckily there weren’t any bodies, but she was pretty sure there was going to be something ugly waiting on the other side. She took in a deep breath, turning the knob and opening the door that led out into the hallway. Immediately the stench of blood and death greeted her and she closed the door quickly, her palms resting squarely against it to keep it close. She could feel the salty saliva returning and her stomach beginning to churn, but she wouldn’t throw up. She couldn’t. She had done plenty enough of that and she would damage her throat if she did anymore. So she took in another deep gulp of air and held it. She was pretty good at her holding her breath, a competition that she always won when playing it.

She opened the door and her stomach became queasy at the sight. Blood littered the walls and bodies were scattered along with various other parts of them. Most of the lights in the hallway were down, but a few of them flickered off and on, giving the hallway a haunting scene. But she pushed through it and walked in, the heavy metallic door closing loudly behind her, making her jump. It was dead silent and it sent a chill through Mabel. She hated silence.

She did her best to look straight ahead and focus on the room numbers, but it was hard with all the bodies she kept nearly tripping over. Seriously, what was with demons and their insistent need to shed blood? She felt her lungs beginning to burn from lack of air, but she didn’t dare breathe in. She couldn’t handle the horrible stench. She didn’t want to smell it at all. But it seemed the fates wanted a different plan for her.

As she walked on, she noticed that she was in a completely different hallway. Dipper had said room number six, but here she was in the teen part of the numbers. She covered her mouth, swallowing before she tensed. Her body froze and her blood ran cold.

Something…had grabbed…her leg.

**▻△▽◅**

Dipper had fallen to the floor on his knees as the horrible invisible flames consumed his body. It burned, oh god did it burn! He heard himself screaming and cursing as he begged for the pain to edge off. And then, finally it did. He took in a deep breath, his body shaking as he fell forward onto the cool floor. He felt so hot, almost boiling. But he had yet to relax when he felt the ominous presence of his tormentor.

“You know,” Bill spoke, his back to the child, “I was hoping this would go much more smoothly, but you Pines folk love to add trouble into my mixture,” The demon said, eerily calm. Dipper weakly got up, shakily standing on his wobbling legs, “You could’ve finally freed yourself from all of this! You could be chilling in heaven or wherever you humans believe to go when you die,” The demon continued, “but, here you are. With me, still _alive_.”

Dipper trembled slightly, no matter how brave he felt, Bill would always hold a sort of fear in him. It was inevitable. “True…but I think stopping you is a better way of freeing myself than never trying at all,” He responded. Bill chuckled, shaking his head before turning to face him. Dipper took a step back and gasped. The demon’s human face seemed to be chipping away. Dark, thin cracks were forming in it as though it were a mask and it added a creepy look to him. Bill smirked at the boy’s horrified expression and he laughed darkly.

“Gruesome isn’t it?” He asked with a smile, “Sadly, this whole meat suit wasn’t a permanent addition,” he said, “I’m not a part of this world, so it wasn’t meant to last forever,” He sighed, touching his face lightly, “But, you are gonna change all that, Pine Tree. You’re the one _we_ need to bring about our rightful place in this earth. It would’ve been all so simple to!” The demon grinned, taking a step towards the boy, who in turn took one back, “But you _had_ to be a hero, didn’t you?”

“I had to do what was right!” The boy countered, “Dying and letting this world suffer wouldn’t be the right thing!”

“No, but it would’ve been the best thing!” Bill snarled, “You wasted your once in a lifetime chance to leave this world peacefully, but now, looks like you won’t be.”

“You call that peaceful? Eating up my mind wasn’t peaceful!” Dipper retorted angrily. Bill laughed wholehearted, his head tossing back and facing the ceiling.

“Oh, for you it wouldn’t be, but it would sure be peaceful for _us_ ,” He sneered, “Now we have to get rid of you _and_ your troublesome sister,” He mocked with a pout, “let’s just hope they do a better job this time, aye?” He chuckled. Dipper’s face turned into a scowl.

“She doesn’t have any part in this, Bill, leave her alone!” He shouted at him. Bill’s chuckles ceased and he narrowed his eye at the child. Pine Tree was becoming more confident as the time ticked on and he _hated_ that. He raised a clawed hand and ignited it with a blue flame.

“I call the shots here, sapling,” He growled, “not you.” And then he shot it at him. Dipper yelped as the flame hit him dead on, knocking him back against the ground and sending him sliding against one of the bloodied bodies. He moaned in pain, turning over and holding his stomach. It burned and no doubt would start blistering soon, but at least it wasn’t bleeding.

“That the best…you got?” Dipper rasped, wanting to stall the time until Mabel got back. He could hold off and distract Bill until then. His eyes widened in fear though as he saw the two blue flames Bill was currently holding.

“Oh, hardly, Pine Tree,” The demon said lowly, his voice dark and cold, “That’s hardly anything compared to what I can do.”

Dipper gulped, bracing himself for the blows to come. He just had to ask, didn’t he?

**▻△▽◅**

Mabel screamed at the top of her lungs, releasing the air she had been holding as she kicked at the hand that held her. She squirmed and hobbled back, grabbing onto the nearest door handle and using it to help aid in her pulling. She tumbled back to the floor finally as she escaped the thing’s grasp but squealed in horror as she felt the wet liquid on her back. She scrambled up, combing her fingers through her hair desperately get the red liquid out of it that dampened it.

“Talk about a real bloodbath,” She shivered in disgust as she somewhat managed to get rid of it from her hair, but now it was stuck on her hands.

Her attention was brought back to the thing that had grabbed her and she turned around slowly. She sighed with relief as she noticed it was just a person. Wait, she thought, they were all dead, weren’t they? She squeaked and stepped back, watching as the person stood up to their feet, their body moving in a jerky and awkward way as though it was just learning how to use a body. It was a boy by the looks of it and there was something about him that told Mabel this was Terry. If so, maybe he was still alive! But the thought was easily burned as the boy looked right at her and she saw the dead, soulless look in his eyes. In the horrible lighting, she was able to see that his hair was matted and soaked with blood and his body scarred and mangled beyond recognition.

“You’re dead…aren’t you?” She asked, taking a step back, being mindful of the body she was walking on top of. The dead corpse didn’t respond, instead it opened its mouth and let out a gargled noise, some blood spilling past his lips and dripping off of his chin. Then, it took a step forward and snarled. Mabel’s eyes widened and she panicked, “Yup! Definitely dead!” She screamed before turning and taking off. She could hear the creature following quickly behind, making her double her efforts into finding the right door. She let out a frightened scream as another corpse sprung to life, growling and snarling as it gave chase to her as well.

Her fear-filled eyes looked around wildly at the doors, “Eighteen! Nineteen! Twenty?! No, _no_! This is the wrong way!” She said to herself. She glanced back only to see that more corpses were now chasing her. Some had giant gaps along their chests and others were missing some of their limbs, how they were able to move so quickly was completely beyond her. She turned a corner, only to have her heart drop.

“A dead end?!” She cried, stopping against the wall and turning around, her hair whipping around her. The creatures had stopped running and began walking towards. She was trapped.

Oh crap, she was going to die! She pulled her backpack off her shoulders quickly and pulled out her grappling hook. She placed the bag back on and looked about for a hooking spot at the ceiling. The creatures were getting close and trusting her luck, she aimed the gun above the dead crowd and closed her eyes. She pulled the trigger and the fired. But her hook hadn’t grabbed onto anything. She gave a small child curse and pulled the line back, trying again. The creatures were snarling and quickly closing in on her. Trying again, she prayed it would work this time and she aimed it up. But the corpses were already on her, and she shot, screaming as she felt them grabbing onto her, pulling at her sweater, hair, and sometimes at her skin, making bleeding wounds. She held firmly to her gun’s handle and then, she felt a tug.

Relief flooded through her and she kicked at the corpses, shoving them aside and jumping up, but not before having one of the things scratch into her cheek, creating a four scratches that had started bleeding immediately and would most likely scar. Her gun reacted quickly and she was pulled into the air, a safe height away from them. She sighed with relief and saw that her hook had stuck to one of the lights on the ceiling that was held up by two metal rods. She sighed with relief and landed safely on the ground, retracting her hook quickly before running off down the hall she needed to be. She could hear the snarls of the creatures, but she was a good feet away. However, that didn’t mean Mabel was taking her time. No, the girl was still running like hell, looking over the doorways as she practically flew by.

“Ten, nine…eight…” She said to herself, “…seven, six!” She skidded to a stop and hurriedly turned the knob on the door. Mabel ran inside it and closed it quietly and hastily. The room was dark, but not completely. She could still see in it, and thank goodness to. She didn’t want to risk turning on the light. She walked forward, wiping at the blood that was sliding down her cheek like sweat. She was glad she didn’t have to worry about tripping or anything as the room was relatively clean and she made her way quickly to the drawer where Terry left his matches. There was picture of the boy on top and Mabel realized that the corpse that had been chasing her was indeed Terry. She gingerly touched the portrait’s glass surface before leaving it be to return back to the task at hand. She opened the drawer, scouring it rapidly until she spotted them. They were in a small Mason jar, and there was a note on the side of it. She picked it up and looked it over, _To Terry, I know you love these kind a lot, so enjoy! We miss you bro! See you in a week! Hang in there buddy, you’ll make it, I believe in you! Love-Kate._

Mabel didn’t know she was crying until she felt hot tears sliding down her cheeks. Terry was supposed to be joining his family soon, but now. She thought back to the lifeless corpse chasing her, his family was sure to be devastated, especially Kate. She gave a silent sincere apology before taking two of the matches from the jar and storing them in a safe place. Now to get back to Dipper. She prayed her brother was doing okay.

She walked to the door, listening for a moment to see if she could hear any snarling. There was none and she slowly opened the door, peeking out. The coast was clear, but she kept her guard up. She left the room, making her way silently back to the stairs. She forced herself to work through the stench, but in the end, she ended up holding her breath and breathing in with her hand covering her nose and mouth. When she got to the hall where the stairs should’ve been, she halted. The creatures were there, walking idly like the zombies they were. She pressed herself against the wall so they wouldn’t see her. Her gut twisted nervously as she tried to think of a different way, but she could think of one way. She’d have to get rid of them, and the thought of how to do that was both gut wrenching and heartbreaking. She looked around, hoping to find a weapon she could use. She found a custodian cart and attached to it was a broom and a small shovel. She frowned, what on earth would a shovel here be good for? But, she didn’t question it. Seeing it as a godsend, she moved to get it, happy to have a weapon as she walked out to the middle of hall. The creatures had yet to notice her, which was a good thing on her part. Gulping silently, she twisted her grip on the shovel’s woodened handle before running forward and screaming. The corpses saw and began running back towards her, a mistake on their part because Mabel went all out the moment they were in reach. She swung like a mad woman, hitting each one and knocking off their heads. One by one the corpses fell back to the ground, lifeless like they should be.

Mabel panted heavily after she killed the last one. She had zombie blood on her and it grossed her out to no end, but she had did it! She had defeated them! She didn’t need to be constantly protected! “I told you so, Dipper!” She cheered, placing her hands on her hips before gasping, “Ah! Dipper!” She shouted, dropping the shovel and running towards the stairs; flinging the door open lightning quick, “Hang on Dip-Dop!”

**▻△▽◅**

Bill let out a demonic laugh as the boy got back up on his feet. He thought it was disgustingly cute at how the boy managed to still get up even though he kept getting beat up into a bloody pulp. He watched as the boy sucked in a shaky breath, wheezing and grasping his side with one arm. The demon smiled, he had done some internal damage, _score!_

Dipper gasped and wheezed at the immense pain running through him. He dubbed himself as the world’s biggest dummy. He was going against Bill, a _demon_ that had done horrible things to him. A demon that had threatened his life and his loved ones. A monster that stole his innocence. He felt anger swell up in him, he hated Bill for everything! Every single thing he had done. His face twisted into a snarl as he looked up at his snickering foe.

“What’s the matter _Pine Tree_ ,” The nickname made his skin crawl, “Demon got your tongue?” Bill asked laughing. Dipper scowled.

“What’s the matter with _you,_ demon,” He spat, “hyena possess your body?” Everything became silent. The expression wasn’t even a good come back at all in reality, but to Bill, it was a challenge. A challenge that he would gladly accept. Dipper’s lips almost twitched at the demon’s sudden mood change, he almost had him.

“Are you serious right now kid?” The demon howled laughing, “You think you can take on me? After what _I_ did to your weak body?”

Dipper winced, that actually hurt him, but it also fueled his anger. How dare the demon mock him?! How dare he make him feel less than he already did!? He clenched his fists much to Bill’s notice.

“Aww,” the demon taunted, “did I hit a weak spot? Did I hurt poor widdle Dipper’s feelings?”

Dipper could feel his anger rising off the charts, he had to will himself to calm down, _stay focused…you can’t beat him if you let your anger blind you_. He took in a deep breath, he had to remain strong. The pendant around his neck glowed slightly, filling him with a small sense of calmness. The demon noticed and tilted his head to the side before a sly smile crept up on his face, so that was the thing that had helped Shooting Star defeat Pyronica. Interesting, Bill smirked. At the demon’s notice, Dipper had to restrain himself from smiling.

“Wa-ho, ho, ho, what do we have here?” Bill mused, “Do you really think you’ll be able to defeat me by that weak charm?” he asked.

This was the sign, Bill had fed into his bait. He awaited for the demon to continue, and just like he suspected, his protection charm was roughly ripped away from the chain on his neck by an invisible force. Even though he had been expecting it, he still had to gasp by the sudden jerk. He watched as it landed in Bill’s awaiting hand gently and just as soon as it was there, Bill burned it to a crisp. The demon tsked.

“You didn’t really think it would be that easy,” Bill began, “did you Dipper?”

The tone in Bill’s voice made Dipper freeze. He knew that tone, he knew it so well. It was the husky tone the demon used before he usually attacked the boy. He shivered in disgust. The demon’s smirk grew, but before Dipper could run he was pinned to the wall, the demon blocking his path and forcing him to stay put. His mind went blank, he felt numb. It was happening. The freaking thing was happening. He began to breathe rapidly as Bill licked his neck.

“I can smell your fear,” he whispered to the boy, “it smells delightful.”

The scenes began to play in his head, the rape…the torture. Bill’s breathy moans in his ear as he used the boy for pleasure. _His_ pleasure. It all came back to him, making him nearly forget his plan. He felt Bill’s hand over his crotch and he tensed. _No…no…stop it now…stop it now…_ but he couldn’t he had to let Bill do this, just until Mabel came back. _Wait for Mabel…wait for-_

“AAAaaaH!” His ear piercing scream filled the entire room as Bill sliced his skin. The demon smiled at his handy work. He really enjoyed marking Dipper. The said boy glanced down at his arm watching the red blood was slowly dripping to the ground. It made him sick.

“Gee this is fun,” Bill purred as he sucked Dipper’s neck roughly. The boy cried out in pain as the demon began to have his way with. He wanted it to end, _Mabel hurry! Please!_ Tears escaped his eyes as Bill’s hand began to touch him inappropriately. He felt so soiled…so _violated_.

“Please…don’t…” Dipper whimpered as Bill neared the hem of his pants, “…s….stop…” The demon licked his lips, _this was so fascinating._

“Never. I’ll never stop,” Bill hissed, “no matter what you do or say, you’ll never be strong enough to defeat me. I’ll always be a waking nightmare to you. I’ll always have _this_ control over you.”

“Dipper!” Mabel shouted, her voice echoing from down the hallway. Dipper snapped his eyes open at the sound of sister’s voice. He didn’t know what gave him the strength, either the embarrassment of Mabel seeing him so vulnerable, or the final edge of suffering was finally enough. Either way, he was able to kick Bill so hard in the groin it made the demon drop him and double over in pain. Dipper fell to the ground with a gasp. He didn’t have much time to catch his breath before he stood up and ran away from the angry demon.

“Mabel!” he cried as his sister appeared in the doorway. But before he could grabbed onto her, Bill was up. The dream demon snapped his fingers and instantly Dipper was pushed back by some unseen force. He crashed into a wall before he fell to the ground.

“You thought you could win just like that, kid?” Bill growled, “Just like _that_?” Mabel gasped at the beating her brother was suffering, “It’ll take more than a kick to the genital before I am fully defeated, too bad you don’t know the secret.”

Oh Bill had no idea how wrong he was…but Dipper didn’t dare let the thought enter his mind otherwise his plan would be foiled. He swallowed, the taste of blood mixing with his saliva making his stomach churn.

“Leave him alone, Cipher!” Mabel yelled as she charged towards the demon. Bill laughed before putting up a force field, cackling loudly at the girl’s cry of surprise.

“Sorry Shooting Star, but you’ve got no part in this,” He said, “But you’re free to watch the show. No charge!”

Before the girl could protest she was knocked back against something rough, banging her head against something solid, and strapped down. In her daze, she wasn’t able to break free. She managed to get a grip on herself and she began to fight against the invisible bonds.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Bill piped up, enjoying her struggle and panic, “as soon as I and your brother are done here, you’ll get your fair share.”

Dipper snapped his head up at the demon, “ _No_! You _swore_ you wouldn’t hurt her! You _swore!_ ”

“And you believed me?” Bill chuckled. Dipper bit his lip, he did. He had thought for sure the demon would leave Mabel be. He stared in shock.

“But…but we had a deal!” he sputtered. Bill’s lips curled into a twisted grin as he leaned a few inches away from the boy, staring dead center into his eyes.

“And that we did, but how can the deal continue,” Bill paused for effect, “if you’re _dead_?”

Dipper’s face blanched, Bill was going to kill him? He decided that now would be a good time to use his secret weapon. He stood up weakly, trying to find the courage to follow through with it.

“T-there has to be another way!” He argued, he wheezed slightly as he felt a sharp pain near his lungs. Bill smirked, this was his moment.

“I suppose there could be…”

“What? I’ll do anything…just don’t hurt Mabel…please.”

“We could make another deal,” Bill said wryly, “One that would bound you to me, _forever_.”

“B-but…that would mean,” Dipper began. His throat went dry. The boy knew why Bill wanted him to be bound to him. If they were bounded, Bill could make him break and bend to his will, allowing the gateway to the mindscape would be open and Bill could take over the world. It was another way for Bill and his demonic party to come into their world. He swallowed dryly. He knew it wouldn’t happen, but the fear of that happening made him freeze. He couldn’t let Bill enter this world! More important, he couldn’t become Bill’s toy, he couldn’t! It wasn’t right! It just….he couldn’t…but Mabel. He glanced at his sister, her eyes were wide. She shook her head.

“Don’t Dipper, don’t do it for me! Don’t!” She yelled to him. Bill snapped his fingers and her mouth zipped shut by an imaginary zipper, preventing her from speaking anything but muffled sounds. Dipper gasped and tried to run over to her, ignoring his throbbing sides, but before he could even take a few steps forward Bill snapped his fingers making him trip over himself, and preventing him from reaching his sister.

“Ah, ah!” Bill sneered, “Do we have a deal?”

He knew he had to, the weapon could only work if he did it when they made the deal. This began with deal and now it was going to end with one. He sucked in a deep breath, for Mabel…for Mabel…he stood up slowly, stifling the hisses and noises of pain.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eloo wklqnv kh kdv wkh xsshu kdqg, exw Slqh Wuhh'v vslulw kdv d sodq. 
> 
>  
> 
> T̰̩ͤ̈͐ḫ͇̦̯̅͑ͮͯę̪͓͚ͦͪ ̵͖͖̺̭̉̒̔̎̽͆f̢͌ͮ̐͌̑̚̚ȉ͕̮̭n̞ͭ̽̐ͪ̎͡ͅä̲̻̘̪̙̙͆̀͟l͇̗͕̞̓ͤ̚ ̷̪͓̮̟̿̄̔ͭ̓̊s͎̠̯̖̩̕h͓̠̟̝͚̠̍͟o͎̳̘͓̤̟ͪ̏ͪ͝w͖͉̆̽̐͛dͧ́̓́̚ȏ̠͚̐͠w̢̞ͦͯͯ̓́n͓̭̟̘̤̆͆ͤͩ̉͗̽ͅ ̘̟̼͕͍͊̿̀̾̋̌̌c̝͖̺̱͇̙̓͗ͬ̿͠ͅo̟̳̗͇ͣ̿̉͘m̸͎̯̯̬̙͍ͧͤ̅͆̋̏m̢̩̣̲̬̯̻͐ͫ̎͑e͍͖̪̤̭ͩͭͧͨn͙͙̩̎ͧc̪̽͊́̋̓̚͜e̪̖͈̖͉̯̫s͎̼͕̱̞ͦ͌̉ͥ͘,̞̮̪͌̄́ ̼ͮ̅͋̃̿͘t͉̝̐ͯͫ́hͣ̆҉̼͓͙͖ͅȩ̞̮̯̺ ̟̩̭̆̋̓͒̆v͈̮̄ͪ̋i̠̖̮̻̖̼ͦc̑̎͒ͧ̑̂t͓̹̒͋i̵̺̺ͬṁ̰͔̫̖̩̟ͫ̄̈̓̿̊ ̨̐ͧ̈ͨ̍̀ͥw̲̅͋ͭ̐̂̍̈ị̂͒̋̚l͓͓̟̮͙͚ͮ͝l̹͉̦̦̺̉̃̒͆̈̈ ̙͈̲̘͕̈ͣ̓̉ͪͮb̳̞̼͙̙̺̅́̑ͯͤ̆̕ͅe̷̘̗͙ ͕̤̦̙͇̺̗ͦ̐c̪̰͕̦̋͑ͬͯ̌̃ͥ͜o̡̥̩̲͓̳͒͂ͥm̧̫̘̽̎̾̔͆͊́e͖̻ͩͤ̌͗̌ ̆̕ț̝̹̬̞̹̙̇ͬ̂͒h̗͚͕͈ͫ̓̾e̬͍ͮ͋ͣ͂̓ͧ ͖͕̰̦̠̻̲v̺̺̮̮̩ͫ̿̐͋͜ị̯c͛͒̃ͬ̌͜t͎̭̜̠̜̗̱͆͊ͬ͒̚̚̕o͗͛̓͂ͤ͌̿҉̹͕̞̫̗͙̪r͔͕̱̣.
> 
> ▻△▽◅
> 
> Two chapters left, are you ready?


	26. XXVI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wkh mlj lv xs, wkh ixq lv grqh. Lw'v reylrxv zkr kdv ilqdoob zrq. Zkdw zloo ehfrph ri wkh ghprq, zkr nqrzv? Vxfk lv krz wkh vwrub jrhv.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The battle is over.

_“Ah, ah!” Bill sneered, “Do we have a deal?”_

There always comes a time in our life when we realize that there is a moment when we have to take a stand. And for Dipper, this was it. All his life he had hid and given himself to the torments of kids bigger than him or bullies. He was that one weak person who could never defend himself, but since coming to Gravity Falls, he has learned to build up that ability, whether by Grunkle Stan’s odd teaching ways or by the challenges and adventures he had come to face.

The boy’s emotions were everywhere and he looked around the room slowly. He looked to Mabel, meeting her caring gaze and he gave her a nod that everything was going to be okay. And it was, probably. But right now, Dipper didn’t have any room for doubt and without sparing another minute, he brought himself back to the current moment.

Dipper sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He could hear Mabel’s muffled protests, begging him not to. But he had to. He had to. Letting out a shaky breath Dipper extended his trembling hand, “Deal.”

Bill’s hand created that blue fire, signifying the seal of the deal, “Excellent,” He said as he grasped onto Dipper’s hand. _Now!_

***** “ _Numquam iterum_ ,” the words left Dipper’s lips like a breeze, clear and easy. Bill barely had time to register it before he was suddenly burned by an invisible fire. He yelped and let go of the boy’s hand as if the boy was the cause of his sudden burn. For the first time, Dipper saw terror shine in the demon’s eyes.

“H-how did you…?” Bill was at a loss for words. For the first time in months, Dipper smiled.

“I did my research,” he said. Bill scowled at him, how dare the kid pull a stunt like that?!

“Do you have any idea what you’re dealing with, _kid_?” Bill growled. For once, Dipper felt empowered. He no longer felt that fear Bill gave him, this was his revenge and he wasn’t about to let it slip.

“ _Tua potestas habere nulli fortitudinum._ ” Dipper began to chant. Bill’s eyes widened and he began to glow a dark red. Lifting his arms, he used his magic to raise Dipper off the ground. The boy gasped as he was once again tossed into another wall. He groaned in pain as Bill let him fall.

“I’ll give you one minute to stop your foolishness, Pine Tree,” Bill rasped, “One minute and I _may_ let you live.” Dipper unsteadily got up, licking his dry chapped lips.

“ _Amplius tibi potestas animae, corporis, tum animae_ ,” Dipper said firmly, Bill narrowed his eyes and raised the boy up into the air and slammed him into the ground, _hard._ He then proceeded to shoot bright blue balls of flames at the child. Dipper yelped in pain each time one hit him. The room was slowly being engulfed by the flames. He could hear Mabel’s muffled screams in the backgrounds, begging for Bill to stop.

“I’m warning you kid!” The demon growled, he ignored Mabel’s pleas, and Dipper noted that the demon’s voice held a demonic ominous echo to it. Dipper sucked in a shaky breath, one more verse to go. He coughed as smoke began to rise, he had to hurry!

“ _Et abiit: Dæmonium habes: Et abiit, et vendidit non revertetur ad me_!” Dipper shouted. Bill began to writhe and screech in pain as the last line was mentioned.

“ _Ruoy rewop si neddibrof morf gnillet su seil. Uoy lliw ton eb elba ot retne ruo sdnim. Ruo sluos era detcetorp morf peed edisni. Uoy lliw ton tnuah lebaM ron I!_ ” Dipper shouted. His eyes turned an unnatural glowing white as he floated up in the air. Bill was still writihing when the boy ended the spell with its seal, “I hsinab eeht! I hsinab eeht! I hsinab eeht!” He shouted loudly. Bill let out one final scream of pain before everything stilled and was censored out by the rising smoke. Mabel knew she was free from Bill’s magic as soon as she felt the bonds on her wrists disappear and her feet touched the solid ground. Coughing, she tried in vain to see past the smoke, she could barely make out a curled up figure on the ground and she ran over to her brother.

Dipper swayed a bit in the air, he was tired, so very tired. He saw Mabel running to him, but felt too weak to call out, “Mabel…” he whispered woozily under his breath before giving into the darkness. His body went limp and he fell to the ground, making Mabel yell out to him.

She ran to Dipper’s side and felt for a pulse. There was one, but it was very weak.

“Dipper? Dipper can you hear me?” She called out to him. He didn’t respond. She tried to shake him awake, but her brother was out cold. She breathed in, but the smoke around her made her cough harshly. As she was about to call out for help, a blue flame whizzed by her. She stiffened and sat in dread at the sight before her. Bill was standing across from her, his whole body glowing a dangerous red. He had a nasty snarl on his face, one that made small shivers of fear run down her spine. The angered demon’s teeth were bared as he stared at her, his cracked face was now mostly chipped off, revealing a black swirling abyss underneath that sent a jolt of fright down Mabel’s back. The girl barely remembered what she had to do and when she did, she made quick of her work of grabbing the paper that held the spell on it and sticking it in the nearby flames, letting it burn before the demon had the chance to stop her. His body was flickering between two different shapes, turning into a black wispy figure before going back to his human form. It was clear he was struggling to maintain it.

“This isn’t over Shooting Star,” Bill seethed, making her quickly turn to face him. She gulped staring at his one eye, which turned a dark black, “we _will_ meet again, and when we do, I am going to tear you and your brother apart nice and slowly.” He said, his voice ending in a cackle. Mabel couldn’t speak, the threat was clear: _Next time I see you, you’re **dead**_.

“Your brother thought he beat me?” Bill scoffed, “Fat chance, I am a being of pure energy with no weaknesses! And _you_ _two_ , are nothing but scrawny meat bags!” he hissed, “And by the time I’m done with the both of you, you’ll be writhing and begging for me to eat you _alive_.” Bill raised his arms high above his head, his hands glowing a dark blue. His face held a look of pure madness and he cackled darkly and maniacally, making Mabel crouch over her brother to protect him as the blue flames expanded. But before Bill could burn them alive, the demon double over in pain. He began to howl in agony and torment as a bright white light engulfed him from the inside out. Mabel stared in shock as she watched him burn, but not before he yelled out one more horrifying threat, that sent chills rushing down her spine. She clutched onto Dipper tightly as she watched him be swallowed up by the white light and disappearing altogether, leaving nothing but the haunting memories of what occurred.

The smoke in the room was increasing as the fire spread. Flames were slowly engulfing and filling the room and her vision was very limited. She heard the building groan and felt it shake, as the fire spread to the ceiling, eating away at the walls causing part of it to come tumbling down a feet away from them. She swallowed, anxiety welling up in her as she coughed, looking around for an escape. She thought of her options, she could stay and wait for help…but what if none came? She could go out and try to work her way back to the main lobby, but what if it was cut off? The building gave another low rumble and she knew she had to take her chances if she wanted the both of them to live. She stood up on wobbly legs, her best bet would be to get them to the front and out of the heart of the fire. She glanced back at her brother, he was still unconscious and there seemed to be blood spilling from his head. She felt fear grip her heart. She had to get them both out of there now!

Grabbing him by the arms, she did her best to drag him out of the room before shifting him onto her back and carrying him piggyback style. The hallway was luckily clear of smoke, but only for a few seconds before the fire decided to spread farther. She paused as she fell into a coughing fit, leaning against a wall to support her and brother as she placed a hand over her racing heart. She breathed in deeply, trying to suck in any tiny bit of clean air that was left, but she knew that this wasn’t good.

Mabel didn’t know how long she had as she carried her brother down the hallway, the minutes seemed to tick off slowly, making her walk seem to last for hours on end, but she was grateful to whatever powerful being was nearby for letting them arrive safely near the front lobby. However, before she could get her and Dipper to safety, the ceiling broke down. She yelped and jumped back as the debris fell just a few inches away from her and Dipper. She gulped and stared at the blockage with fear.

“N-no…please…no…” She whimpered out, she glanced back at her brother, in the dim light she could see he was struggling to hang on and his breathing was hoarse and very shallowly, “Hang on Dipper…please.”

She took in small breaths as she looked for an opening…a gap… _anything_! But there wasn’t one. She gently placed Dipper on the ground, letting go of his arms slowly as soon as his back was on the floor, and she tried to remove the debris herself; which proved to be harder thanks to her smoke filled lungs and spinning head. She felt the hopelessness gather in her stomach and she began to cry, “Help!” She shouted, praying that someone would hear her pleas. She didn’t know how long she waited, but the silence was unnerving. She stayed by Dipper’s side, clutching his hand. His breathing was becoming heavier and labored and she feared for his life.

“We’ll be alright, Dipper,” She said, running a hand through his hair, “E-everything will be okay, don’t worry,” She forced out, her throat tightening and tears slipping out. The girl was scared, she was scared for her brother, who was becoming weaker by the second, and she was scared that they may never see Grunkle Stan again or their parents. Or Soos. Or Wendy. Her body shuddered as she let out soft cries, squeezing Dipper’s hand, “I…I’m sorry…sorry for not being there when you needed me…I’m sorry for not seeing the signs sooner,” She wept, “I love you, Dipper,” She sniffed, shifting a bit to hug her brother. His limp body felt so light in her grasp as she held him against her, “I-I’m not going to leave you, bro-bro. N-never again. We’ll face this together, d-don’t you w-worry,” She whispered to him even though he probably couldn’t hear her. She didn’t remember calling for help, nor did she remember laying down by her brother’s side. But Mabel did remember how drowsy she was becoming though, she remembered wanting to close her eyes. But then she heard them, the voices…soft and getting louder.

“Anyone here?” A male voice called. She turned on her side, she could see figures just beyond the cracks from the pile of debris. She felt her mouth move, her voice was low and raspy.

“Jesus, it’s a bloody sight in here.”

“What the hell happened?”

“H…help…” She whispered as the voices were getting louder and the footsteps were increasing, “…h-help…”

“There’s no one here; we better go before the building comes down!”

Her panic increased when she saw the figures disappearing slowly, the voices slowly fading. She got up on shaky hands, working past her horrible coughing fit. She needed to get them to come back, for Dipper! For Dipper!

**▻△▽◅**

Stan had been driving back from the store to the shack, Mabel still had a few more hours to hang with Dipper before she had to leave. He didn’t know why, but he got the feeling to turn on the radio, he ignored it though for the moment. As he stopped at a red light, he could see a crowd gathering, including a few firetrucks and police cars whizzing by.

“What the…?” He muttered, opening the window and sticking his head out for a better view. The cars turned down a street, their lights flashing and sirens wailing loudly, almost in a pattern for Stan to hear: _Daaaaanger! Daaaaaanger! Diiiiiiipper and Maaaaaabel!_ He frowned, looking at the red light before deciding to turn the radio on.

“ _This just in, a crowd has gathered in front of Gravity Fall’s Rehabilitation Center! A fire seemed to have started and firefighters have been sent in to check the area!_ ” The person speaking paused, “ _Furthermore, the building seems to be unstable and authorities say it might come down soon!_ ”

Immediately horror and fear shot through Stan, was this Dipper’s center? Were his niece and nephew in danger? He turned the volume louder, staring at the radio box in anticipation. What was the name of the place? There had to be different centers right? He turned the radio seeing if there was another station talking about it. Indeed there was and what he heard made every bone in his body freeze.

“ _Here at Cheerful Smiles, it’s anything but cheerful. Horror has struck the town in a massive murder and fire! But who’s to blame?”_

That was all Stan needed to hear before he quickly put the car in motion, stepping on the gas and driving like a crazy person in the same direction as the firetrucks. His eyes were wide and he was cursing himself. Cursing himself for being so stupid as to leave the two greatest people in his life alone. He ignored the cars honking at him and the string of curses some people shot at him, he didn’t care at the moment. All he focused on was getting to the center!

“Shit, shit, _shit_!” He cursed, turning sharply at the corner onto the road for the center, “I’m such an idiot! An _idiot_! I shouldn’t have left them alone! It’ll be my fault in something happens to them,” He said, guilt and remorse hitting him hard. His vision blurred briefly and he quickly wiped at his eyes, it’ll be okay, he thought to himself and then he scowled-that had been similar to what he thought for Mabel. And looked what happened? He continued berating himself over this as he pulled into the parking lot of _Cheerful Smiles_. He opened the car door and stared in horror at the sight. The building seemed to be collapsing in on itself and fire poured from all corners of the building. He could see the fire team trying to water it out, but the fire seemed to have a mind of its own as it only continued to worsen. Stan ran forward, surging through the crowd at top speed to get to the nearest person who would help him.

“Dipper?! Mabel?!” He shouted, scanning the dozens of people, “KIDS!” He yelled, startling some of the locals but he ignored them as he ran to a nearby firefighter.

**▻△▽◅**

Anthony had been leading the firefighter team out of the building before he paused, something wasn’t right. He had a feeling to go back, to go and look again. The members brushed past him, telling him to keep going and that the building was empty.

“Anthony, there’s no one in there but _dead_ people and the building’s going to collapse soon, we need to leave!” One of the members shouted to him. He blinked and nodded.

“Ok!” He shouted before rushing out to follow them, the building shook once; a sure sign that it was going to fall. He felt the feeling increase, he shouldn’t be leaving just yet. But he did and no sooner did he leave than did a man come running up to one of the team members.

“Sir, you need to get back-!” The man, but the man shook his head, his eyes wide with fear at what lay before him.

“My niece and nephew are in there!”

Anthony immediately looked up, the man looked to be around his late fifties. He had thin glasses and was dressed in a suit. A fez with a fish on it could be seen on his head, covering his grey hair. He looked back at the building, part of it was already caving in and the fire didn’t seem to be dying out soon.

“Let him through, Stephen!” Anthony shouted, The man, Stephen, looked at him and nodded. Stan looked at Anthony, fear evident in his eyes.

“Please…please go back and check! T-they’re in there! I know they are!” He said. Anthony searched the man’s face for any lies; there were none. Only the deep sincerity of concern and dread for their lives. He nodded.

“Stephen, gather the team quick! We’re going back in!” he shouted. He promptly put on his gas mask and ran in, catching many of the firefighters off guard. The team looked at each other in startled confusion before following their captain into the building. Stan felt himself being pushed back by the police, but he never took his eyes off the building, _please be safe…please…_

**▻△▽◅**

Mabel stared in horror as the voices left, the tears came back and she began to shout loudly, making her throat hurt.

“H-help! H…help p-please!” She yelled raucously, her voice scratchy and weak. She felt the building shake once more and the smoke and fire gathered around her and brother, threating to burn them alive. She fell into another coughing fit, before she heard the voices return. She gasped and managed to cease her coughs, “Help! Help!”

“ ** _HELP!_** ”

The firefighters halted at the loud echo that rang through the area, they stared at each other in disbelief and shock.

“Did you hear that?!”

“Holy shit there _is_ a child here!”

“Where are you?!”

Mabel coughed once more, the fire was slowly growing and the smoke was beginning to block her vision, “Behind…the blockage! Hurry! Please hurry!”

The footsteps grew closer to her destination and hope began to rise. _Don’t worry Dipper, we’re going to make it!_

“Are you alright?! Is anyone else with you?” A man asked from the other side. She sucked in whatever air she could, but it was getting harder to breath with the smoke.

“My brother…and I…we’re injured…he’s bleeding from the head…p-please help us!” She shouted. The strangers began to remove the ceiling debris and she sank down to the ground. Her body was no longer functioning to her demands. She couldn’t find the strength to sit up or to help bring Dipper closer to the wall. She didn’t know if she smiled when she saw the first crack of fresh light.

“Oh my god,” A female said as she stared, “Jackson, call the paramedics!”

“Roger that!” Jackson shouted. Anthony looked at the two children with worry, it was a boy and a girl, both around the age of twelve. They were covered in ash and look like they had just came out of an oven, he could see several of many bleeding wounds on them and they both seemed to drenched from head to toe in blood. Anthony vaguely wondered if it was their own or others, but he filed it away for later. For now, he had to get them out of here and towards safety. He instantaneously sprang into action and began to gather the girl up in his arms, but to his surprise she began to struggle.

“Calm down, we’re getting you guys out of here,” He said gently. The building released a low moan and a few small pieces of cement fell down, and that sure as heck didn’t give any comfort to the team.

“N-no,” Mabel rasped, “get my brother out first…he’s hurt…g-get him…” She was coughing once more and it did no good to calm the team. He glanced next to her and saw Dipper. The boy’s chest was rising and falling, but it was barely enough for them to know that he was still alive, and there seemed to be blood coming from his head.

“Mary, grab the boy! _Quickly_!” He snapped. Mary ran around him and lifted the nearly dead child as carefully as he could. She cursed under her breath as she noticed the blood seeping down from his hairline and down his face.

“Shit, he’s injured badly,” She said. Without another word the team left the area and ran to the front doors. No sooner had they began running did the building began to crumble once more. They had barely made it out the doors and gotten the kids away before the building erupted into an explosion of ruins. Everyone watched in shock as the building blew up into flames and collapsed upon itself. Stan let out a small breath of relief when he saw the firefighters holding his great niece and nephew. He ran to them after the building exploded. The twins were both placed on separate gurneys and wheeled into different vehicles.

“Dipper! Mabel!” He shouted. The paramedics were currently placing breathing masks over the children’s mouth and noses. As Stan approached them he nearly broke down. Both children had burns on them and a few cuts and bruises. Dipper had an icepack along with a long white bandage placed on his head and arm. He looked like a corpse and Stan almost thought he was dead had he not seen his chest rising and falling. Mabel looked less battered than her brother, but like him, she looked worse for wear. Her hair was matted and her skin a bit pale. She had a few bruises surrounding her face, arms, and legs. He noticed the large gash on her cheek, but thankfully nothing major. Both children were covered in dark ashes and dark stains of blood that nearly had Stan crumbling from the sight.

Stan raced over to their sides, “How are they?” He asked one of the medics. A woman answered him after she helped place the gurneys in the vehicle.

“The girl is fine, we’ve managed to steady her vitals and breathing, but the boy…that’s another story,” She said.

“What’s wrong with him?” Stan asked with concern, fearing the worst as he took a glance at Dipper. He looked so small and helpless.

“The boy’s breathing has been somewhat brought back to normal, but he still struggles. His head has suffered quite some trauma, and he has a broken arm. As far as anything internal, he may have a few broken ribs and a punctured lung, but we can’t be certain,” She told him. Before Stan could question them any further, one of the heart monitors went off. The paramedic turned around and gasped.

“David! He’s going into a cardiovascular collapse!” She turned to Stan, “I’m sorry sir but we have to go, are you family?”

Stan blinked, parental fear written all over his face, “Y-yes.”

“Then come in, we don’t have much time,” She said hurriedly, as Stan clambered into the vehicle that Dipper was placed in. He looked across as Mabel’s ambulance was driving off already before he returned his eyes to Dipper. The paramedic beside him turned to the one called David and spoke, “Tell Emmie to step on it.”

David got to work and as soon as the door to the vehicle closed it rushed off. Stan stared numbly at his nephew. Why did have to his great nephew and niece? Out of all the people in the world…it had to be them to get hurt. He blinked back tears and sucked in a deep breath.

“I’m so sorry,” He whispered, his voice quivering.

And for the first time in forever, since the disappearance of his brother thirty years ago, Stan cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Latin Translation: Your power has no reign in our domain, you shall not be able to reach across the barrier. We are protected by the gods above who unite to hear our cries. A portal will open and you will meet your demise. Your tricks and games are no more, the portal will no longer have a door!
> 
> (Stupid I know, but I like it)
> 
>  
> 
> Sorry this is WAY late. I've been going through some tough junk and the stupid chapter didn't want to form itself...ugh, it was horrible...but I hope you guys enjoyed this! Aah, one more chapter which will be the epilogue. Fun.
> 
> Next Update: Sunday
> 
> P.s As soon as this is done, I will be posting the first chapter of 'The Great Cipher', a 'Great Gatsby' Au idea that's been bugging me badly. So keep yours eyes peeled!


	27. XXVII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 20-8-5 8-15-18-18-15-18 9-19 4-15-14-5, 8-5'19 6-9-14-1-12-12-25 6-18-5-5. 23-9-20-8 2-1-4 20-9-13-5-19 2-5-8-9-14-4, 20-8-5 16-9-14-5-19 3-1-14 6-9-14-1-12-12-25 21-14-23-9-14-4.

Chocolate brown eyes fluttered opened to a darkened room, they blinked for a few moments, trying to adjust to the darkened corners and shadowy figures. He felt weak and tired, his body hurt and his mind was blank. He was on something soft, halfway up in a sitting position. He felt stiff, if only for a little bit. He had barely began to turn his head to the side, before he hissed suddenly as a sharp jolt of pain slid up from his head to his neck. He froze all movements, biting his lips to keep in the cry that wanted to escape. What the heck had happened?

Taking in deep breaths, he willed himself to continue his mission at hand. Sucking in sharply, he cautiously continued to turn his head, wincing in pain every so often. Squinting his eyes, he could make out an I.V bag and heart monitor that was currently beeping softly to his calm heartbeat, along with some other equipment he couldn’t quite see. There was a vase of flowers on the table stand and a small card that had the words: _Get Well Soon_ , in fancy cursive writing, and some half deflated balloons. It was then that it clicked; he was in a hospital! His head throbbed a little at his sudden twitch and he had to mentally remind himself to take it slow. He moved his eyes around and to his surprise, he found a small figure curled up into a chair. His lips twitched a little.

He would know that sleeping figure from anywhere. It was Mabel, his sister. As he lifted his arm, he came to a realization that there was something covering his nose and mouth, how did he miss that? Forgetting his previous thoughts, he touched the object and realized it was a mask. And not just any mask, it was an oxygen one. Warily he began to take off the mask, bringing the tip of it away from his nose. Immediately he was met with fresh air as he breathed in deeply, he let go of the mask and let it fall down to his chest. He was able to breathe on his own for now. He glanced back at Mabel from the corners of his eyes, she was breathing softly, her chest rising and falling. She had a few bandages on her face and an ice pack on her arm, but nothing major. He turned his eyes towards the door, there was light coming from the other side of it and he could see a few shadows pass by from it, no doubt doctors or nurses getting back to patients. He looked ahead at the foot of the bed, he could see his feet poking out from underneath the white sheets. He wiggled his toes, smiling in relief that he could still walk, or at least move them. He felt pretty dumb for not checking sooner, in fact it probably should’ve been the first thing he was supposed to do when he first awoke, after all what kind of badly injured person doesn’t check to see how bad their injuries were?

Rolling his eyes at himself, he began to look over the damage. His right arm was bandaged in a cast, an obvious sign he had broken it, _again_. He frowned, he was hoping to escape any major wounds. But hey, at least he didn’t have a broken neck right? Thank goodness for that, otherwise he would’ve been left with a boring life. He could move his toes, as he discovered earlier. He lifted the blanket with his left hand, lifting the white shirt he had on and investigated his stomach. There were bandages wrapped tightly around his chest and dark bruises that led him to believe he might’ve broken some ribs or something like that. No signs of stitching could be found on him, but he did have quite a lot of intense pain in his abdomen and stomach muscles, not a good thing on his part. He had briefly glanced at his arms and noticed the cuts, they made his head throb and few memories flooded back. Bill…the agony and torture…the Rehabilitation Center...Mabel’s near death…his fight against Bill…the bright flash of white…then the blackness. It all made a little sense, though some parts were fuzzy and he found that there was some things he couldn’t recall, no matter what. Though he figured he must’ve gotten the injuries from all the times he banged against the wall and floor, not to mention his brilliant fall from the spell. He felt his breath hitch as the tears began to rise. He hurriedly wiped them away, no point in crying, everything was ok…right?

To change his thoughts he looked at the time, it was a little past six a.m., a hint that he had woken up at the normal time he would usually wake up from one of Bill’s hellish nightmares. He shook his head as carefully as he could, _no…I won…Bill is gone…no more nightmares, no more threats, experiments, r-ra…it’s over. It has to be!_

_Is he though?_ Said a small part of him that doubted it was over, what if it wasn’t? What if Bill was playing it off cool for a while before bringing it back and attacking him with just as much brutality before?

“No…he’s gone. The spell got rid of him,” Dipper replied, jolting a bit at how gruff and weak his voice sounded.

_Sure he is, whatever helps ya sleep peacefully right? All I’m saying, is that he could return…_

“Yeah…well, I’d rather not think about that,” he sighed, then he frowned, “Why am I talking to myself out loud?” He muttered.

_Beats me. Perhaps I’m a leftover addition for you!_

Dipper huffed and ignored the voice, letting himself get lost in his thoughts again. Worries and doubts filled him and shook him to the core. He wanted to believe this was all over, gosh he hopes it all is. But the boy didn’t have much time to dwell on his thoughts anymore when he heard a small moan from his sister. Dipper looked at the time, 7:25. How much time did he spend thinking? No time to worry though, he quickly slipped on the oxygen mask, finding it strange as he felt the automatic air filling his lungs, but he didn’t bother wasting another moment as he quickly shut his eyes and acted like he was still sleeping. _Like that’ll help._ Shut it, he hissed back to the voice.

Mabel found it odd to be awoken at such an early time, but a small noise had roused her from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, what if it was Dipper? Her eyes sprung to life immediately at the thought and she quickly looked up at him. Her heart sank. He was still and unconscious, his eyes closed and his face in a serene expression. Her lips curled downwards and she wiped the tears that came to her eyes. She was so sure that he would be awake by now, he had been asleep for so long one would’ve thought he was dead, had it not been for his chest rising and falling that is. The grief buried itself thickly inside of her heart, what if he never woke up? A life without Dipper…growing up but never having him by her side growing up too. Never hearing his constant ramblings about smart stuff and being a dork. She found herself walking over to her brother’s temporary bedside, she looked at him her heart tearing into two.

Her last time seeing him awake had been when he fell to the ground, she could still see him, screaming loudly as if he was in pain before he fell silent as his body went limp and dropped to the ground. She remembered running to him, trying to wake up as the building around them crumbled. Bill had been furious. His hands were raised high above his head, glowing a dark blue and that did little to nothing to comfort her. He was screaming at her, making her shiver as he spat threats. She squeezed her eyes tightly and crouched over Dipper as the blue fire from the demon’s hands expanded towards them, but just before it could graze them, the demon gave a loud guttural howl of pain. She gasped and looked at him, just in time to see a bright white fire enclose him, peeling back his skin and burning him. She watched in horror as Bill was swallowed by the thick light and then he was gone, but not before giving her one last chilling threat; **_I will return Shooting Star, don’t think you’ve won just yet! I’ll return and when I do…not even God himself can save you or Pine Tree! You both will be mine! Ahahahahaha!_** Then it was just her and Dipper, alone in the ruins of the institution’s cafeteria.

She recalled her vision swaying a bit, no doubt from hitting her head and the additional smoke in the room. She remembered crying out for someone to help them as she stayed by her brother’s side. She could still smell and see the blood that covered her along with the blood that came from Dipper’s head as he lay still, motionless. The smoke began to increase and she coughed harshly. She found the strength to stand up after Bill vanished, slightly shaking as she had grabbed Dipper by the arms and began to drag him out of the room. Her will for them to live gave her the motivation to keep moving. But just before they made it to the center’s main office, the ceiling had fallen down, forcing her to stop. She began to cough some more, there was no way to escape from her side. She had gone back to screaming for help before lying beside her brother. She had gripped his hand tightly, begging him to hang on until they were safe. Her eyes were growing heavier as the smoke filled the small space. Her coughs began to grow louder. Before she fell unconscious, she heard voices and footsteps. The debris from the ceiling was quickly removed and light filled her view. She smiled weakly, at least she thought she did. She remembered telling them to get Dipper first and they muttered something back before picking her and her brother up gently and hurriedly carrying them out. They were strapped onto a gurney oxygen masks placed over both their noses and mouths. She watched them strap in her brother before she let her eyes close and she slipped into the darkness.

She had awoken four days after the incident, her vitals returned to normal. Grunkle Stan was watching her, he smiled and hugged her tightly, telling her how sorry he was. She smiled, glad to know he was safe. No sooner was she awake though, she was immediately questioned by the media, the cops, and the doctors about what happened at the center, she came up with the plausible lie that one of the patients had truly gone insane and began to murder people, she and her brother had managed to hide out in the cafeteria before the patient found them, barely letting them escape with their lives as the place caught on fire from one of the gas stoves being left on and running away to leave them to die. That seemed to satisfy them, but it left many others baffled and confused as to how the killer patient could’ve gotten away so quickly with how many people had come swarming to see the sight. Some even thought that the twins were the actual killers, but Mabel could care less about that. Her mind wasn’t set on making excuses, nor was it fixed upon her wellbeing and defending their reputation. Her mind was focused on her brother. Ignoring the shouts from the adults talking to her, she got up and made a mad dash to the nurses’ station. She felt a sharp pain somewhere, but paid no heed to it. Once she arrived, she quickly asked for the room number for her brother. Despite the confusion, the plump nurse nodded and looked up the name.

“ _He’s in the **ICU** , room 546. But that’s-,”_

_“Thanks!”_

_“-Sweetie that’s for family visits only!”_ The nurse had shouted to her.

“ _I am family!”_ She had shouted back. She dodged around people as she ran to her brother’s room. Worry had filled her stomach as she worked her way to him. She hoped he was ok. Upon arriving at his room, she had to bypass the doctors that questioned her as she ran in.

_“Dipper!”_ She had shouted with joy, only to look in horror. Her brother was a _wreck_. His hair was burnt at the tips and tangled, his skin was a sickly pale, with blisters and horrible burns. Bruises adorned his body along with scars and gashes, some old and some new- many of which she didn’t even know he had. The heart monitor was beeping rapidly and there were nurses and doctors rushing to get his heart beat to calm down. It wasn’t until the monitor began to beep rapidly then suddenly drop to a flat line that she broke down.

“ _No! No!_ ” She watched in fear and alarm as the doctors pulled out a defibrillator and began to shock her brother. Tears sprung in her eyes as she saw that her brother’s heart beat wasn’t returning. Grunkle Stan had arrived, staring at Dipper’s lifeless body and the doctors trying in vain to bring him back. Tears welled up his eyes before he tried to get Mabel out of the room, ushering her towards the door. The girl began to struggle against his arms as he tried to pull her away from the scene before them. She succeeded in breaking free and reached her brother, _“Dipper wake up! Don’t go! Don’t go! You can’t leave me you dork! You can’t leave me behind!”_ As if he could hear her, the monitor sprung to life moments later, startling everyone around it with its soft and slowly rising to normal beats. The doctors jumped back at the sound and looked at the wailing girl. She clung to her brother, begging him to stay.

After that, they let her do as she wished, they didn’t dare remove her from the room, plus she was well enough to be left by herself. There were a few more incidents in which they had almost lost Dipper for good, but it seemed that as long as Mabel kept begging him to stay, so did his heartbeat. Most days though, she would spend them talking to her brother, trying to get him to wake up. It was a nearing a full month and each day her hope seemed to dwindle down in numbers and she found it hard to remain calm near her brother’s side. But today was different, today…her last bit of hope had sputtered and died. She grasped her brother’s hand, surprised at how warm it felt beneath hers, she looked up at him solemnly, praying he would open his eyes. She didn’t hesitate to let the tears fall, they had to come out sooner or later.

“Dipper,” She choked out, “it’s me, Mabel…your sister. I’ve been waiting for almost a month now, hoping you’d wake up.”

Dipper almost jolted at his sister’s sudden touch and voice, it took all of his will power to hold himself from gasping at how long he was asleep. A whole _month!? Shocker, isn’t it? Must’ve fallen hard or something…_

“I’ve been trying to remain strong Dipping Sauce, I really have…but it’s so _hard_. Seeing you strapped to these machines, not doing anything, not talking, or opening your eyes,” She sucked in a deep breathy, “it _hurts_.”

He could hear the ache laced in her voice. He felt something wet land just above his cheek and he realized she was crying. His heart sank down to his stomach, he didn’t mean to do this to her. He hadn’t realized…hadn’t known. _I’m sorry Mabel…_ the voice in him remained quiet.

“I don’t think I have any more hope to give you, every day I sit by you, praying and hoping to whatever magical being can hear me,” Another shaky breath, “I _need_ you to wake up Dipper, I need to know you’re ok…I can’t…I can’t stand seeing you so still...please, _please_ , wake up. I miss you…”

He remained still, he didn’t want to “wake up” right away; giving her the impression he heard everything she said. He waited a few moments, listening to her stifled sobs. _Forgive me Mabel…_

“If you…if you don’t want to wake up, then it’s ok for you to leave me, I don’t want you to feel like you’re being forced to stay here. I know I said I need you, but if everything that has happened to you is too much…then be free. We’ll see each other again. I’ll love you forever, bro-bro,” She sniffled.

Mabel wiped her eyes, this was so much harder and the words were difficult to spill out. But they had to be said, Dipper had to know that he wasn’t obligated. She didn’t want him to pull another suicide attempt because of her, she didn’t want him to stay unless he really wanted to himself. She remained in the silence, staring at his face; memorizing the peaceful expressions and details that made up her sibling. Dipper had a few bandages covering part of his forehead and eye from the cuts on his face, and there was a pretty bad burn going down from his temple and ending just right along the crook of his neck. She was relieved to know that some color had returned to his pale cheeks.

Mabel swallowed, letting a quiet sigh as she squeezed his hand, why she did that, she didn’t know. But she felt the need to do it. She heaved a sigh shortly after a few moments had passed.

He didn’t return the squeeze to her.

Dipper had felt the squeeze, but didn’t return it. Not just yet. His sister had offered him the chance to let go, he didn’t have to be here…but he wanted too. He couldn’t part with Mabel, he didn’t want to part with her. He knew why she said it, anyone with a brain would know. It was because of his attempt to end his life. But that was then…this was now. He knew he would never do it again, not in a million years or more. He was free to be himself now…

He felt Mabel’s hand slowly pull away, but just before she could fully let go, he grasped tightly to her. _Don’t leave…I want to stay…Don’t leave me…_

Mabel felt the tug, she gasped and looked down at her hand. She blinked, once…twice…but the image didn’t change. Dipper’s fingers were clinging tightly to hers, preventing her own hand from escaping. Her eyes widened and more tears leaked out, a spark of hope lit up as she stared at him.

“Dipper?” She called softly.

Her only response, was a pair of watery chocolate brown eyes that she hadn’t seen in forever, fluttering open.

“You still owe me a soda.” Came his voice raspy from lack of use as he smiled weakly at Mabel, whose face was lit up like a child’s on Christmas.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SV RH ZODZBH DZGXSRMT...
> 
>  
> 
> ▻△▽◅
> 
> WOOOOoooo! Big THANK YOU to everyone who stayed with me to read this, I hope it was worth it. I appreciate all the support you guys gave me and the heartfelt comments that really inspired me to go on. I'm sorry if this wasn't the ending you wanted, but I think it wrapped everything up quite well. 
> 
> Thank you again, guys, SO MUCH. Without you, I wouldn't have finished this!
> 
> ▻△▽◅
> 
> For my next installment, The Great Cipher (Gatsby AU) will be coming out possibly Monday or Tuesday! So be on the lookout for that!
> 
> ▻△▽◅
> 
> Thanks for everything!!!
> 
> ▻△▽◅  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> IPX QV'M VQN WXYZ -(Requires a secret key, hidden in the story)

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment!
> 
> I'd like to hear your opinions!


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